This web exhibition accompanies a current exhibition in Stalowa Wola, Poland. The pictures were kindly provided by Krzysztof Dydo.
Stefan Norblin, a polish painter and graphic artist, had an exciting, and tragic life. He was a successful and popular portrait painter, poster and book and costume designer in Warsaw in the 1920's and 1930's, married to the movie star Lena Zelichowska. When World War 2 broke out, the couple fled in the last minute from the Nazi bombs, first to Romania, then Istanbul, Iraq and finally arrived in India. Norblin quickly caught the attention of the Maharaja of Jodpur who had just built a huge palace that needed to be decorated, and Norblin was given a free hand to design the interior and the furniture. In 1946, he left for the United States, and although he had a few commissions for portraits, he was not happy, his eyesight was failing and he finally took his own life in 1952. Most of his work in the United States was lost or destroyed, and except for his polish tourist posters, he was forgotten.
The exhibition is a late tribute to one of the great early polish poster designers. The grandson of the Maharaja, His Royal Highness Gaj Singh II, Maharaja of Jodhpur, personally attended the opening.