Illustrations for Child Day

The offer of our auction "Illustrations and Animation Films for a Child Day" includes works by artists associated with the Polish School of Illustration. The auction includes works by, among others, Józef Wilkon, Maria Orłowska-Gabryś, Mieczysław Piotrowski, Jerzy Karolak, Zdzisław Witwicki, Julitta Karwowska-Wnuczak, Adam Marczewski, Bohdan Butenko. The artists received many awards and international distinctions. Their art has been displayed at hundreds of exhibitions in Poland and abroad. Our offer also includes original celluloid works, depicting iconic characters that are still important and close to people's hearts. The cartoonists created worlds and adventures with the aim of appealing to sensitive and open minds of children. The fairy-tale characters continue to accompany, entertain, and educate successive generations of Polish readers and audience. The offer includes works depicting Sparrow Elemelek, Dwarf Hałabała, Puss in Boots, Bolek and Lolek, and many others. 

The output of Józef Wilkon consists of nearly two hundred illustrated books for children and adults. The artist cooperated with publishing houses in Poland, Europe, and Asia. Thanks to his characteristic style, Wilkoń's art is very recognizable. His illustrations are distinguished by dynamic colors and graphic discipline. The artist's works are characterized by an exceptionally synthetic reproduction of the animals' shapes or elements of landscape. With just a few quick, decisive strokes of a brush or fountain pen, the artist was able to depict animals and wildlife, without beautifying or idealizing nature. The presented work, which is also the first item in the auction offer, was awarded a Gold Medal at the International Exhibition of Book Art (IBA) in Leipzig in 1959. 

Maria Orłowska-Gabryś was one of the most famous Polish illustrators and graphic artists. Her unique style is characterized by expressiveness and meticulous attention to details of her drawings. The artist's works are distinguished by realism and professional narrative, rooted in pre-war art. Maria Orłowska-Gabryś illustrated over a hundred books, including Clare Compton's "Harriet and the Cherry Pie", Maria Niklewicz's "Bajarka opowiada" (“Storyteller Tells Story"), Jan Grabowski's "Czarna owieczka"(“Black Sheep")  and "Reksio i Pucek" (“Reksio and Pucek") , Ferenc Molnár's "The Paul Street Boys" , Janina Porazińska's "Kichuś majstra Lepigliny" (“Kichuś of Mr Claymolder"), Ewa Szelburg-Zarembina's "Królestwo bajki" (“Fairytale Kingdom"). 

Mieczysław Piotrowski was a prose writer, playwright, and graphic artist, as well as an outstanding illustrator of children's books and a co-founder of the Polish School of Illustration. He graduated from the Higher School of Journalism and the Academy of Fine Arts. As a cartoonist, he collaborated with the magazines such as “Cyrulik Warszawski", “Rózgi", “Mucha", and “Szpilki". His opinions were very respected by other artists who spoke highly of him. Piotrowski was not direct when creating illustrations, his style was delicate, with the artist being keen on using subtle colors. He received numerous awards for his artistic and illustrative output, including Silver Medal at the Internationale Buchkunst-Ausstellung in Leipzig (1959) and the First Degree State Award (1962). He was also awarded by the editorial office of "Szpilki" magazine on several occasions, including the Golden Pin Laurel award. 

Zdzisław Witwicki was born in 1921. He authored illustrations for more than 70 books for children, including the widely recognized and popular "O Wróbelku Elemelku" (“Sparrow Elemelek") by Hanna Łochocka, "Z przygód Krasnala Hałabały" (“Adventures of Dwarf Hałabała") by Lucyna Krzemieniecka. He created several hundred illustrations and designed covers for magazines for children and youth, such as "Miś", "Świerszczyk", "Płomyczek". He was also the author of illustrations for classical literature by Adam Mickiewicz, Juliusz Słowacki, or Bolesław Leśmian. He presented his works at more than 250 solo and collective exhibitions in Poland and abroad. For many years, he was the artistic and graphic editor of the "Nasza Księgarnia" Publishing Institute.

Witwicki was a recipient of many awards and distinctions, including the Prime Minister's Award for artistic activities for children and youth, distinctions at the International Exhibition of the World's Most Beautiful Book in Frankfurt am Main, and at the International Exhibition of Book Art (IBA) in Leipzig. For his lifetime achievements, the artist was awarded a medal by the Polish Section of IBBY, the Gold Medal "Merit to Culture Gloria Artis", and the award of the Society of Authors ZAiKS for his artistic activity for children. 

Jerzy Karolak was born in 1907, he was a graphic and poster designer, as well as illustrator of books. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. From 1947, the artist headed the Poster Studio as a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. He authored, among others, covers and illustrations for one of the "Primers by Marian Falski", a portfolio of graphic works "Folk Costumes and Customs", and the series "Atlas of Polish Folk Costumes". His posters can be found in the collections of the Poster Museum in Wilanów and in other Polish museums.

Julitta Karwowska-Wnuczak is a painter, author of illustrations for many books, and artistic concepts for cartoon films. The characters of Filemon and Bonifacy brought her the greatest fame, the artist illustrated all the books on the cats' adventures.
The artist graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and did her diploma in the painting studio of Prof. Eugeniusz Eibisch. In 1961, Julitta Karwowska-Wnuczak started her cooperation with the RUCH Publishing House. She designed postcards and illustrations. Her first works were made in 1962 for a book by Ewa Szelburg-Zarembina titled "Dziwne przygody Ignasia"(“Strange Adventures of Ignaś"). In the same year, she began a long-term cooperation with the Nasza Księgarnia Publishing Institute, thanks to which she made illustrations for works such as "Tales of Ancient India" by Shanta Rameshwar Rao, "Księżniczka Głogu" (“Hawthorn Princess") by Władysław Ludwik Anczyc, "The Adventures of Lucia Little Nose" Monteiro Lobato, "Bajki – nie tylko o smoku" (“Fairytales - not Only about Dragons") by Ireneusz Iredyński.

The works of Julitta Karwowska-Wnuczak were shown at exhibitions, including in Italy, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, West Germany, Japan, USSR, Denmark. In 1969, she had a solo exhibition at the Broste Gallery in Copenhagen, where she lived and worked at the time. The artist presented her works during the Biennial of Illustrations in Bratislava and Bologna.

Aleksander Kobzdej was a painter, architect, and illustrator. He was known for his works in the spirit of socialist realism and matter painting. In the early 1950s, Kobzdej created a series of drawings influenced by his trip to China and Vietnam in 1954. They revealed the artist's interest in means of expression that did not focus on rendering the reality, but transforming it. The artist gradually abandoned the narrative literalness of his depictions, reaching for more subtle means of painting and drawing expression.