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Ul de Rico, Ulderico Conte Gropplero di Troppenburg, is an Italian-born artist and author of illustrated children’s books, most notably The Rainbow Goblins (1978) and its sequel The White Goblin (1996). He was also a major contributor to the children’s fantasy film The NeverEnding Story (1984), based on the book of the same name by Michael Ende.

The Rainbow Goblins was published in 1978 in Germany. It is a story of seven evil goblins, each a different color of the rainbow, who travel through the land catching rainbows and stealing their color. The work was praised for its enchanting oil-on-oak illustrations, which vividly draw the reader into the world of the goblins; and its simple story, which teaches children about color as well as reverence for natural beauty.

All of the paintings in the works above were oil-on-oak panels, which gave them a distinctively grainy and vivid look. The paintings also have a slightly surreal feel which allows readers to be drawn into their colorful imaginary world while still being reminded of the beautiful natural world which inspired them.