- Source: Maja Synnergren
Ester Maria (Maja) Synnergren née Ekholm (September 30, 1891- February 8, 1950) was a Swedish painter, drawing teacher, and draftsman. She illustrated several fairy-tale books.
Life and work
Synnergren was born on September 30, 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 February 8, 1950, in Stockholm at the age of 59.