(February 29, 1932 – February 13, 2014, Warsaw)
One of the most prominent Polish illustrators of books and magazines — a graphic artist, poster designer, cartoonist, and caricaturist. From 1986 to 2005, he was a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw.
Stanny studied at the Faculty of Graphic Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw from 1951 to 1957. He received his diploma in poster design under the mentorship of Henryk Tomaszewski.
He was the author of illustrations for such classics as Pan Tadeusz, the Bible, La Fontaine’s Fables, Don Quixote, and Andersen’s Fairy Tales, as well as visual concepts for animated films. His work was also published in major Polish media outlets such as Gazeta Wyborcza.
Over his career, Janusz Stanny illustrated more than 200 books, including:
Pan Tadeusz by Adam Mickiewicz
The Bible
Fables by La Fontaine
Don Quixote by Cervantes
Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen
He also created numerous covers and authored original children’s books such as:
The Tale of King Dardanel (1962, reissued 2005)
The Painter as Red as a Brick (1961, reissued 2006)
The Horse and the Cat (1961)
In 2011, the publisher Dwie Siostry released Once Four Wise Men… by Antoni Marianowicz with illustrations by Stanny as part of their Masters of Illustration series.
Stanny’s work blended a painterly approach with humor and sharp linework, creating a unique and instantly recognizable style. He illustrated both fairy tales and adult literature with equal ease and mastery.
As recalled by his daughter, Katarzyna Stanny:
“Dad worked in very traditional techniques: pencil, ink, markers, poster paints, acrylics… He always found time to work in between the rhythms of life. The hardest part was starting. He would delay, search for ideas, hesitate — but once he began, he’d pour everything into it and deliver brilliant work, even at the last minute.”
The best biography of Stanny is “Teresa Wilbik and Janusz Stanny in the Kingdom of Illustration” by Katarzyna Stanny.
She — a remarkable illustrator and painter whose vibrant compositions brightened the grayness of communist Poland.
He — a professor, poet, and master, whose wit helped define the Polish School of Illustration.
Their daughter created a multilayered, colorful, and imaginative portrait of her artistic parents, set in Warsaw, exploring themes of love, art, and friendship in the capital’s creative circles.
1966 – 2nd Prize, Buenos Aires, for Don Quixote illustrations
1968 – Premio Grafico, Bologna Book Fair, for The Enchanted Tailor by H. Januszewska
1971 – Gold Medal, IBA Leipzig, for The Adventures of Sindbad the Sailor by B. Leśmian
1972 – Silver Medal, Moscow Book Fair, for The Tale of King Dardanel
1975 – Medal, BIB Bratislava, for The Lions by H. Januszewska
1976 – Premio Europeo, Padua, for The Lions
1977 – Medal, BIB Bratislava, for Andersen’s Fairy Tales
1996 – Grand Prix, Warsaw-themed Caricature Competition
1998 – IBBY International Honour List for Pchła Szachrajka illustrations
Books Illustrated (Selected)
The Adventures of Sindbad the Sailor – B. Leśmian (1965)
The Slipper Dispute – J. Wilkowski (1968)
Rainy Music – J. Kulmowa (1971)
Anna and Ewa and Marian and Rusak and Others – M. Michałowska (1975)
If I Had a Horse – A. Onichimowska (1980)
The Sly Fox – J. W. Goethe (1990)
The Goose Spoke with the Piglet – J. Brzechwa (1996)
For Lifetime Achievement:
1987 – Polish Publishers Association Award
1999 – Minister of Culture Award
2002 – Best University Teacher Award from the Mayor of Warsaw
2003 – Medal of the Polish Section of IBBY
2006 – Gloria Artis Gold Medal for Merit to Culture
1965 – MDM Art Gallery, Warsaw
1971 – II Prize, International Caricature Exhibition, Skopje
1974, 1983 – Prime Minister’s Prize for Children’s Art
1986 – Kordegarda Gallery, Warsaw
1995–1998 – Series of major exhibitions at Warsaw’s Museum of Caricature
2000–2006 – Group and solo exhibitions in galleries across Poland
2012 – Płock Art Gallery
2013 – Center for Culture and Art, Konin
