Henryk Tomaszewski (pronounced tom-a-SHEV-ski) (June 10, 1914 – September 11, 2005) was an award-winning poster artist and the "father" of the

Polish Poster School Beginning in the 1950s and through the 1980s, the Polish School of Posters combined the aesthetics of painting and the use of metaphor with the succinctness of the poster. By utilizing characteristics such as painterly gesture, linear quality, ...

Biography

Henryk Tomaszewski was born in

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

on June 10, 1914, to a family of musicians. In 1934, he enrolled in the

Academy of Fine Arts The following is a list of notable art schools. Accredited non-profit art and design colleges * Adelaide Central School of Art * Alberta College of Art and Design * Art Academy of Cincinnati * Art Center College of Design * The Art Institute ...

and graduated in 1939. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and the

Nazi occupation of Poland Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...

, Tomaszewski earned a living through his painting, drawings, and woodcuts which were later destroyed during the

Warsaw Uprising The Warsaw Uprising ( pl, powstanie warszawskie; german: Warschauer Aufstand) was a major World War II operation by the Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from German occupation. It occurred in the summer of 1944, and it was led ...

. In 1947, he began creating posters for state-run film distribution agency Central Wynajmu Filmow with fellow designers Tadeusz Trepkowski and

Tadeusz Gronowski Tadeusz Lucjan Gronowski (5 October 1894 in Warsaw–20 February 1990 in Warsaw) was a Polish graphic artist, architect who worked as an interior designer, painter, and a book illustrator. He is considered to be one of the creators of the ...

. Postwar shortages of supplies made Tomaszewski rework film posters and introduced bold colors, abstract shapes, and filmmaking techniques to convey the film's mood rather than rely on portraits of the film's stars. He also created posters for the circus and art exhibitions, among others. His poster designs were animated and witty, leading him to become the "father" of the

in the postwar era influencing international poster designers. His work was also part of the painting event in the art competition at the

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, England, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus ca ...

. He became a professor from 1952 until 1985 at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts. In 1975 Henryk Tomaszewski was granted the title of Honorary Royal Designer for Industry by Royal Society of Arts in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

and since 1957 was a member of Alliance Graphique International (AGI). Tomaszewski was the father of acclaimed contemporary Polish graphic artist Filip Pagowski. He died on September 11, 2005, in Warsaw, Poland of progressive nerve degeneration.

Major awards

*1948 - Five Golds Medals, International Poster Exhibition, Vienna (Austria) *1963 - First Prize, International Biennal of Arts, São Paulo (Brazil) *1965 - Gold Medal, Leipzig (DDR) *1966 - Silver Medal, International Poster Biennal, Warsaw (Poland) *1967 - Gold Medal, National Polish Poster Biennal, Katowice (Poland) *1970 - Gold Medal, International Poster Biennal, Warsaw (Poland) *1975 - Silver Medal, National Polish Poster Biennal, Katowice (Poland) *1975 - HonRDI,

Royal Designers for Industry Royal Designer for Industry is a distinction established by the British Royal Society of Arts (RSA) in 1936, to encourage a high standard of industrial design and enhance the status of designers. It is awarded to people who have achieved "sustaine ...

*1979 - First Prize, 3rd Poster Biennale, Lahti (Finland) *1981 - First Prize, International Poster Exhibition, Fort Collins (USA) *1986 - Excellence Award, ICOGRADA *1988 - Silver and gold medals, International Poster Biennal, Warsaw (Poland) *1991 - Bronze Medal, International Poster Triennial, Toyama (Japan) *1994 - Silver Medal, International Poster Triennial, Toyama (Japan) *1994 - Bronze Medal, International Poster Biennal, Warsaw (Poland)

References

External links

Profile of Henryk Tomaszewski
at Culture.pl {{DEFAULTSORT:Tomaszewski, Henryk 1914 births 2005 deaths Polish graphic designers Polish cartoonists Polish illustrators Polish poster artists Artists from Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw alumni Olympic competitors in art competitions Recipients of the State Award Badge (Poland)

Biography

Major awards

See also

References

External links