Jesper Dahlby

Jesper Dahlby (May 11, 1915 – September 25, 1971) was a Myrish romanticist and realist artist most notable for his pieces displaying landscapes and explorers in remote places, which are said by some to be nearly fantasy-like, including absurdly tall mountains, large golden temples, massive jungles, and other magnificent natural structures. In nearly all of Dahlby's work, there exists two or more human figures somewhere in the painting, often being small or inconsequential to the work as a whole. Dahlby's use of color is noted by some to be the best of his kind, and himself as one of the most notable artists of the 20th century. His pieces have since become some of the most iconic images of art in the modern world.

Dahlby's childhood was overshadowed by constant illness, with him being bed-ridden for a large portion of his childhood. His father, Geld Dahlby, urged Jesper to turn his feelings into artwork as a method of therapy. His father gave Jesper his own art equipment from his time in art school after his child showed great interest in the passion. Eventually, Dahlby convinced his father to put him in a wheelbarrow and to roll him around the city he was born in; Võsalu, Gladomyr. Dahlby was greatly influenced by the "incomprehensible" scale of the mountains surrounding the city, and began to incorporate it in his art. Dahlby's paintings were being sold by his parents in order to maintain earnings to care for Dahlby's illness, and by the age of 12, Dahlby's art had become somewhat well-known to his community on the edge of town, and word of his art had reached the center of the city.

At the age of 15, Dahlby required his left leg to be amputated due to his previous ailments. His life expectancy was, at most, 25. Miraculously, Dahlby's ailment seemed to be subsiding at the age of 17, and by the age of 19, Dahlby was nearly fully recovered. When Dahlby turned 20, he lied to army recruiters about his false leg, and joined the Myrish Royal Navy as a cadet, soon graduating to become a well-respected member of his troop. During his time in the army, Dahlby continued to pursue his passion in art, often sketching on a notepad he snuck with him. At the age of 24 in 1939, Dahlby was deployed to Koranel at the wake of the Summer War. Dahlby's ship was sunk by Ta'arohan artillery in 1941, and he, along with 13 other men, were the only survivors. The men were soon captured after being out-gunned and out-numbered, and were sent to a labor camp deep within Ta'arohan Riyata.

After 6 months in the camp, Dahlby and 16 other soldiers were released in turn for the Koranelan release of 1 high-profile Ta'arohan general. Dahlby seeked refuge in Koranel, and became stranded there after the successful takeover of Gladomyr by Salia. While in recovery in Koranel, Dahlby was reminded of his childhood, and started painting once again, this time more than ever before. Dahlby was greatly inspired by the magnificent cliffs and landscapes of the Koranelan peninsula, and his art was influenced by the stories he heard of Myrish, Eduran, and Ordrish travelers exploring the peninsula for the first time in the 17th century. He began painting scenes and landscapes he remembered along the coast of Koranel and Riyata, and began effectively "reversing time", making it appear that the landscapes were first being discovered by explorers long ago. His art was popular in the small rehabilitation community he was stationed in, but gained no further widespread traction. Dahlby was formally released from the Myrish Royal Navy during this time.

After the end of the Second World War, Dahlby hesitantly traveled back to his hometown of Võsalu, Gladomyr. There, he found his childhood home demolished from war, and his parents had gone missing and were presumed deceased. The only family member Dahlby had left was his brother, Nol Dahlby. Dahlby fell into a great grief, and expressed this with art once again. Paintings from Dahlby during this time are more abstract or post-impressionist, and is where the majority of Dahlby's portrait work arises. What is seen as Dahlby's most famous work, Heter Hennes, arises during this time.

Dahlby moved back to Koranel several years following, and lived in a secluded community in Amnes Province. Several years later, Dahlby would sell all of his belongings, and started travelling the world. He visited places such as Higher Tar-dinuu, Huenarno, Ordrey, Watan, Gemurtrak, Alero, and many more places. It was after this 5-year-long journey in 1957 that his artwork began to gain traction within the international community. His artwork began to be featured in museums around the globe, and recognition for Dahlby and his story grew exponentially. The prices for his paintings skyrocketed, seemingly out of nowhere, and Dahlby greatly benefited from the large earnings. Feeling guilty, Dahlby donated large amounts of these earnings to charities and family members. At the dawn of the Third World War, Dahlby greatly advocated for peace and was strongly against the use of nuclear weapons. In 1970, Dahlby fell into a deep illness, some believing his childhood ailment was simply dormant and had become active once again. Before his death in 1971, Dahlby buried the remainder of his 150 million dollars worth of jewelry, Myrish kurunenn, and more, leaving the location of the treasure in a riddle-type poem which has yet to be solved to this day. Dahlby died alone in his cabin in northern Gladomyr on September 23, 1971, after never marrying and never having children.

Posthumously, Dahlby became the face of romanticism in the 20th century. His work is featured in the highest prestige museums and art galleries around the globe, with his artwork selling for upwards of $103.4 million as of 2021.