Illustrator: Beskow, Elsa

Love European fairy tales? Then you’re going to adore this gorgeous gallery of vintage fairy tale illustrations by Swedish author and illustrator Elsa Beskow. Elsa Beskow illustrations and stories are best known for weaving nature and fantasy together, into delightful stories that entertain as well as teach children important lessons about friendship, childhood, and the natural world. You’ll find pictures of woodland folk with toadstool hats, children shrunk down to pixie size, friendly rabbits and owls, fruit and pine cone people and much more.

These days, Beskow’s work is well known for its association with Steiner and Waldorf styles of education, and her books are often used as teaching aids. Her books are embraced by Waldorf as they portray children’s independence, happy homes, and a connection to nature. Often, children have adventures in the woods, accompanied by anthropomorphic plants and animals.

These vintage Elsa Beskow illustrations would make beautiful prints to hang on the wall, gift cards, clip art for school projects or decoupage layers. We have over 150 Elsa Beskow illustrations available for download, and they’re all in the public domain! Copyright free and free for you to use as you wish for personal and commercial use.