All the best stuff came out of the 1970s. For example the delightful book on gnomes written by Will Huygen and illustrated by Rien Poortvliet, entitled simply Gnomes, was first published in 1976 in the Netherlands. An English translation from publisher Harry N. Abrams quickly followed in 1977.
According to the dust jacket, the authors spent over 20 years observing the life and work of the gnome in preparation for writing the book. It is widely considered to be the definitive work on gnome culture, covering everything from physical characteristics, to home industry, to gnomes in legend.
The beautiful art demonstrates Rien Poortvliet's intimate knowledge of gnomes and earns him a spot among the great illustrators of history.
Wil Huygen is equally talented in his own right, studying gnomes and their ways with scientific discipline, and sharing his vast knowledge in everyday language.
I hope you enjoy these small bits of the book that I have included and consider adding this wonderful book to your library. A few more examples of the amazing illustrations:
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