1. Kay Rasmus Nielsen was a Danish illustrator who was popular in the early 20th century, the Golden Age of Illustration which lasted from when Daniel Vierge and other pioneers developed printing technology to the point that drawings and paintings could be reproduced with reasonable facility.
Kay Nielsen was born in Copenhagen into an artistic family; both of his parents were actors - Nielsen's father, Martinus Nielsen, was the director of Dagmarteater and his mother, Oda Nielsen, was one of the most celebrated actresses of her time, both at the Royal Danish Theater and at the Dagmarteater.
Kay Nielsen studied art in Paris at Academie Julian and Academie Colarossi from 1904 to 1911, and then lived in England from 1911 to 1916.
Kay Nielsen received his first English commission from Hodder and Stoughton to illustrate a collection of fairy tales, providing 24 colour plates and more than 15 monotone illustrations for In Powder and Crinoline, Fairy Tales Retold by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch in 1913.
Also in that year, Kay Nielsen produced at least three illustrations depicting scenes from the life of Joan of Arc.
In 1917 Kay Nielsen left for New York where an exhibition of his work was held and subsequently returned to Denmark.
The project never came to fruition and Kay Nielsen's illustrations remained unknown until many years after his death.
In 1939 Kay Nielsen left for California and worked for Hollywood companies.
Kay Nielsen was renowned at the Disney studio for his concept art and he contributed artwork for many Disney films, including concept paintings for a proposed adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid.
Kay Nielsen worked for The Walt Disney Company for 4 years, from 1937 to 1941 before being let go as his work was seen as too dark.
Kay Nielsen was brought back briefly in the 1950s for Sleeping Beauty.
Kay Nielsen continues to be credited for his work at the Disney company and is ascribed for inspiring the visual development of Frozen.