Kay Nielsen was an artist born in Denmark in 1886. and unlike his contemporaries, he looked to more modern styles such as the influx of Japanese art to inspire his work. His distinctive style is best-known for his renowned version of East of the Sun, West of the Moon. World War I greatly derailed his career and while he illustrated several books afterwards, he eventually tried his hand at other pursuits such animation for Walt Disney Studios. Even though he passed away in 1957, Nielsen was posthumously credited as one of the designers of Disney’s The Little Mermaid.