Franciszek Starowieyski was born on 8 July 1930 in Bratkówka near Krosno and died on 23 February 2009 in Warsaw. He was one of the most recognizable and original Polish artists of the second half of the twentieth century—a painter, draughtsman, graphic artist, poster designer, and stage designer. He studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków and later in Warsaw, where he worked, among others, under the supervision of Michał Bylina. From the very beginning of his career, he consciously cultivated a distinctive artistic persona—that of an erudite creator deeply immersed in the history of art, philosophy, and literature.
Starowieyski remained closely associated with Warsaw throughout his life, although his work had a distinctly international reach. He was an artist-institution—renowned not only for his oeuvre but also for his legendary personality, baroque manner of being, and his famous “Drawing Theatres,” during which he publicly created large-scale works in front of an audience.
Franciszek Starowieyski was one of the leading representatives of the Polish School of Posters. He created more than 400 film, theatre, and opera posters, which brought him worldwide recognition. His works were awarded and exhibited at the most important international festivals and exhibitions, including those in Paris, Venice, New York, London, and Tokyo.
Among his most significant achievements are:
numerous international awards for artistic poster design (including prizes in Cannes and Venice),
participation in prestigious graphic design biennials and exhibitions worldwide,
the creation of a unique cycle of drawings and paintings inspired by anatomy, the Baroque, and mythology,
pedagogical and educational activities,
many years of leading the “Drawing Theatres,” combining visual art with performance.
Today, his works are held in major museum and private collections, including the National Museum in Warsaw, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The style of Franciszek Starowieyski is immediately recognizable and resists simple classification. He drew inspiration from the Baroque and Mannerism, the art of the Old Masters, and from the natural sciences—particularly anatomy. His works often depict deformed, monumental bodies and hybrid human-fantastic figures, charged with emotional tension and symbolism.
Characteristic features of Starowieyski’s style include:
obsessive attention to detail and draftsmanship,
recurring themes of corporeality, transience, eroticism, and death,
the combination of grotesque and irony with pathos,
a monochromatic or deliberately limited color palette,
numerous references to history, mythology, and literature.
The artist frequently annotated his works with handwritten inscriptions, dates, and comments, giving them the character of visual philosophical treatises. His art balances between the sacred and the profane, beauty and unease, intellect and sensuality.
Franciszek Starowieyski remains one of the most important figures in contemporary Polish art. His work—deeply rooted in tradition yet radically individual—continues to captivate collectors, curators, and art enthusiasts around the world. He stands as a symbol of the independent artist, faithful to his own vision and consistently building a distinct, timeless visual language.
