All the artists who formed what is known as the Polish School of Illustration would sign their names under these words by the renowned Polish illustrator. The phenomenon of Polish illustration is truly something extraordinary on a global scale.

Let us consider Poland—completely devastated by World War II—a country where socialist realism and socialist doctrine reigned, and where there was a shortage of everything. Yet, it was precisely this socio-political situation in the mid-1950s that had a profound influence on the formation of the cultural and historical phenomenon known as Polish Illustration.

New opportunities emerged for artists of the time. A clear publishing strategy was established, and the publishing movement was centralized. The Ministry of Culture and Art elevated the issue of children’s books to a high level of importance, which allowed for the first-rate execution of a national plan for children’s literature. Despite the shortages of paper and printing ink, the socialist government always found the means to print new posters, patriotic slogans, and books for children.

Artists in the People’s Republic of Poland, due to the prevailing doctrine of socialist realism, focused on practical, income-generating art forms such as designing postcards, advertising prints, and book illustrations. In hindsight, this situation had a positive effect. It led to the emergence of a group of illustrator-artists between 1950 and 1980 known as the Polish School of Illustration.

The years 1950–1980 are considered the golden era of Polish book illustration. During this time, illustration reached an exceptionally high artistic level, becoming a Polish specialty. Its creators were frequently recognized and awarded, with their works exhibited around the world.

The Polish School of Illustration was praised for its artistic freedom, diversity, vibrant color palettes, the individuality of its artists, sense of humor, rich form, and innovative approaches to book illustration. Artists employed a variety of techniques, infused their works with humor, and crafted a poetic visual language that stood out through its remarkable freedom of expression.

All of this resulted in the Polish School of Illustration gaining international acclaim and securing a prominent place for Polish illustration on the global stage. Often, the same illustrators who defined this movement were also at the forefront of another phenomenon—the Polish School of Poster Art.

Polish illustrators recorded their first major international success in 1959 at the 3rd International Exhibition of Book Art in Leipzig, bringing home 12 medals, including two golds—awarded to Józef Wilkoń and Olga Siemaszko. Silver medals were awarded to Michał Bylina, Maria Hiszpańska-Neumann, Bożena and Wiesław Majchrzak, Mieczysław Piotrowski, Zbigniew Rychlicki, Jerzy Srokowski, and Jan Marcin Szancer. Bronze medals went to Halina Chrostowska, Janusz Grabiański, Andrzej Heidrich, and Bohdan Zieleniec.

Another major achievement came in 1960 at the 12th Triennale of Applied Arts in Milan, where Polish illustrators were awarded ten individual gold medals. Honorees included Bohdan Butenko, Michał Bylina, Stefan Grabiński, Józef Czerwiński, Adam Kilian, Gabriel Rechowicz, Jerzy Srokowski, Jan Marcin Szancer, Henryk Tomaszewski, and Stanisław Zagórski. Special jury mentions were given to Olga Siemaszko and Zbigniew Rychlicki.

In 1963, the Polish delegation of visual artists was awarded a gold medal for the best collection of book illustrations at the 6th Biennale of Art in São Paulo. From 1964, Polish artists were also active participants in the Biennale of Applied Arts in Brno.

Starting in 1965, they took part in the International Exhibition of Book Illustration held alongside the Bologna Book Fair. Since 1967, they participated in the Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava (BIB), where their unique style earned them widespread recognition. From the mid-1960s, Polish graphic artists also took part in the international competition “Most Beautiful Books in the World” in Frankfurt, with notable participants including Bohdan Butenko, Janusz Grabiański, Elżbieta Murawska, Andrzej Strumiłło, and Zdzisław Witwicki.

Moreover, from the mid-1960s, UNESCO identified Poland as a model environment for the development of art—especially that intended for young audiences.

The year 1967 brought yet another success—book illustration awards at the 8th Biennale in Brazil. That same year, Polish illustrators were active participants in the International Exhibition of Book Graphics in Moscow, held in conjunction with the “Most Beautiful Books” competition. Honored at this event were Bohdan Butenko, Zbigniew Rychlicki, Janusz Stanny, Andrzej Strumiłło, and Józef Wilkoń. At the same time, books published by Nasza Księgarnia were recognized by the UNESCO Education Office in Geneva as a model to be followed by UN member states.

In 1971, Polish artists actively participated in global competitions, winning numerous awards. Among them: the Grand Prix for Andrzej Strumiłło, “Golden Apples” awarded to Marian Murawski (twice, along with his wife Elżbieta Murawska), Janusz Stanny, and Teresa Wilbik. The “Golden Poster” award was given to Zbigniew Rychlicki, Janusz Stanny, Józef Wilkoń, Krystyna Witkowska, and Zdzisław Witwicki.

Polish book illustration has been exhibited in numerous countries, including:
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Scandinavia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia, Italy, the United Kingdom, China, Vietnam, Japan, India, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Israel, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Cuba.