about painting and art, thereby opening him to modernity. Under the supervision of Wojsław Mole, he wrote a seminar paper entitled "Impressionism as part of French culture". Initially, the artist studied at the school of Prof. Władysław Jarocki, but after passing the clandestine classes conducted by Oleś, he was transferred to the third year. He studied in the atelier of Zbigniew Pronaszko, a former formist, as well as Karol Frycz, where he studied painting in architecture and created stage designs. Classes and conversations with Frycz familiarised Gierowski with the art of Young Poland. He also met Jerzy Panek, Zbigniew Grzybowski, Stanisław Wójcik and Andrzej Wróblewski in his studio and at university. During his studies, he established cooperation with the social and literary weekly magazine "Wieś", publishing an article on modern art, as well as illustrating subsequent issues. Activity in the artistic community After completing his studies, in 1948, Gierowski returned to his hometown of Kielce, where he began working as an advisor for art in the Culture Department of the Provincial Council. He also ran an art campfire at the Association of Polish Artists and Designers (Polish: Związek Polskich Artystów Plastyków, ZPAP). In 1949 the artist was offered a job as a technical editor of the "Wieś" magazine, which resulted in his move to Warsaw. In June of that year, an accidental meeting between the artist and Władysław Strzemiński took place at the National Museum in Poznań – fragments of Strzemiński's texts on "Theory of Seeing" and unism were published in the "Wieś" magazine. The next years are the heyday of family life: a marriage with Anna Golka and the birth of their two children – daughter Magdalena and son Józef. At that time, the artist also illustrated novels by his friend, also a Kielceer, Edmund Niziurski – for example 'Księga Urwisów'. In 1951, Gierowski began working for an Artistic and Graphic Publishing House in the portfolios and albums department. In 1955 he took part in the International Exhibition of Young Artists at the Zachęta National Gallery of Art where his composition 'I Love Life' won second prize. This distinction inaugurated Gierowski's popularity and recognition as a new generation painter. This position was strengthened by the work 'Gołębnik' / 'The Dovecote' (1955), exhibited at the 6th Exhibition of the Warsaw District in November of the same year, gaining great popularity among critics. Also in 1955, in July the artist took