Maja Synnergren

Maja Synnergren
Born	Ester Maria Synnergren 30 September 1891 Sundvall
Died	8 February 1950 Stockholm
Nationality	Swedish
Known for	Illustration and design

Ester Maria "Maja" Synnergren (née Ekholm; 30 September 1891 – 8 February 1950) was a Swedish painter, drawing teacher, and draftsman. She illustrated several fairy-tale books.

Life and work

Synnergren was born on 30 September 1891, in the town of Sundsvall. She was the daughter of businessman Rudolf Ekholm and Augusta Jernberg and married the manager Bertil Synnergren in 1917. She studied at the Konstfack in Stockholm from 1910 to 1913. She made a name for herself as a fairy tale illustrator and children's portrait-maker. In 1928, she published the picture book Herrskapstroll, which in its layout is connected to Elsa Beskow's children's books. The many fairy-tale books she illustrated include Brita Ellström's Lasse tänker flyga jämte andra små sagor, Eugenie Beskow's Sjuttisjuornas förbund, Maja Jäderin-Hagfors En bok om en pojke, en hund och en aktersnurra, and Folkskolans barntidnings jubileumssagor. She also drew Christmas cards and collaborated in Christmas publications and other magazines as an illustrator. She died on 8 February 1950, in Stockholm at the age of 59.