Franciszka Themerson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Franciszka Themerson
|
|
|---|---|
Franciszka and Stefan Themerson
|
|
| Born | 28 June 1907 |
| Died | 29 June 1988 (aged 81) |
| Nationality | Polish |
Franciszka Themerson (June 28, 1907 – June 29, 1988) was a very creative artist. She was born in Poland and later became a British citizen. Franciszka was a painter, illustrator, filmmaker, and stage designer. She used her artistic skills in many different ways throughout her life.
Contents
About Franciszka Themerson's Life
Franciszka Themerson was born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1907. Her father, Jakub Weinles, was also an artist. She studied art at the Chopin University of Music and the Warsaw School of Fine Arts. She graduated with high honors in 1931.
From 1938 to 1940, she lived in Paris, France. Then, in 1940, she moved to London, England. She lived there until she passed away in 1988. Even though she was mainly known as a painter, she also worked in many other art forms. These included illustrating books, designing for the stage, and creating graphic designs.
Working with Her Husband
Franciszka worked closely with her husband, Stefan Themerson, who was a writer. Together, they made several experimental films. These included Apteka (The Pharmacy) in 1930 and Europa in 1931–1932. Other films were Drobiazg Melodyjny (Musical Moment) in 1933 and Zwarcie (Short Circuit) in 1935. Their film Przygoda Czlowieka Poczciwego (Adventure of a Good Citizen) from 1937 is the only one of their early films that still exists today.
In Britain, they made two more films together. Calling Mr Smith (1943) showed the terrible things happening in Poland during Nazi times. The Eye and the Ear (1944/45) explored how music could be shown visually. An incomplete copy of their original Europa film was found in 2019.
Creating Books and a Publishing Company
Franciszka Themerson illustrated many children's books. Some were written by her husband, and others by different authors. In 1948, she and Stefan started their own unique publishing company. They called it Gaberbocchus Press. Franciszka was the art director, meaning she was in charge of how the books looked.
The name "Gaberbocchus" came from a Latin version of 'Jabberwocky'. This word is from Lewis Carroll's famous 'Alice' books. Over 31 years, Gaberbocchus Press published more than sixty books. These included works by famous people like Alfred Jarry, Kurt Schwitters, and Bertrand Russell. Of course, they also published books by the Themersons themselves.
One of their most important books was Alfred Jarry's Ubu Roi. This book was published many times and is still available today. The Gaberbocchus edition of Ubu Roi was very special. The words were handwritten by the translator, Barbara Wright. Franciszka Themerson added her own drawings using conté crayon. The book was printed on bright yellow pages, making it look very original. Franciszka's illustrations made Gaberbocchus books stand out.
Her drawings were also featured in many magazines around the world. Several collections of her drawings were published as books. These include Forty Drawings for Friends, London 1940-42 (1943) and The Way It Walks (1954). Other collections were Traces of Living (1969) and Music (1998).
Designing for the Stage
Franciszka Themerson also designed sets and puppets for plays. She created marionette (puppet) shows for Ubu Roi and Ubu Enchainé. She also designed for Brecht's Threepenny Opera. Most of these designs were for the Marionetteater in Stockholm, Sweden, in the 1960s. These shows traveled around the world for many years and were very popular. Many of her designs were later shown at London's National Theatre in 1993.
Art Exhibitions
Franciszka Themerson had many solo exhibitions where her paintings and drawings were shown. Some of her major shows included those at Gallery One One One in 1957 and 1959. She also had exhibitions at Drian Galleries in 1963 and Zachęta, Warsaw, in 1964. A big show of her work was held at the Whitechapel Art Gallery in London in 1975. Her art was also shown in New York City, Łódź, Wrocław, Aalborg, Gdańsk, and many other cities.
A special collection of her greeting cards, called Gaberbocchus some of the old favourites, is kept at the National Library of Poland.
Books Illustrated by Franciszka Themerson (Gaberbocchus Press)
Here are some of the books Franciszka Themerson illustrated that were published by Gaberbocchus Press:
- Aesop, The Eagle & the Fox & The Fox & the Eagle: two versions of a story, 1949.
- Stefan Themerson & Barbara Wright. Mr Rouse builds his House. 1950. (This was a translation of a children's story by Stefan Themerson, with 122 drawings by Franciszka.)
- Stefan Themerson. Wooff Wooff, or Who Killed Richard Wagner?. A short novel with drawings by Franciszka Themerson. 1951.
- Alfred Jarry. Ubu Roi. Drama in Five acts followed by the Song of Disembraining. First English translation by Barbara Wright. Drawings by Franciszka Themerson. 1951.
- Bertrand Russell. The Good Citizen's Alphabet. Illustrated by Franciszka Themerson. 1953.
- Stefan Themerson. Professor Mmaa's Lecture, An insect novel. Illustrated by Franciszka Themerson. 1953.
- Stefan Themerson. The Adventures of Peddy Bottom. A story illustrated by Franciszka Themerson. 1954.
- Franciszka Themerson. The Way it Walks. A book of cartoons. 1954.
- Stefan Themerson. factor T. An essay on human nature. Drawings by Franciszka Themerson. 1956.
- Anatol Stern. Europa. Facsimile reproduction of one of the first Polish futurist poems, 1925. Illustrated with pictures from the Themersons' lost film of 1932. 1962.
- Bertrand Russell. History of the World in Epitome (For use in Martian infant schools). 1962.
- Franciszka and Stefan Themerson. Semantic Divertissements. 1962.
- Franciszka Themerson. Traces of Living. Drawings. 1969.
- Stefan Themerson. St. Francis and the Wolf of Gubbio, or Brother Francis' Lamb Chops. An opera. 1972.
- Stefan Themerson. The Urge to Create Visions. Essay on film. 1983.
- Nicholas Wadley, ed. The Drawings of Franciszka Themerson, 1991.
- Franciszka Themerson & Stefan Themerson, Unposted Letters. correspondence, diaries, drawings, documents 1940-42. 2013.
Other Books Illustrated by Franciszka Themerson
Here are some other books that Franciszka Themerson illustrated:
- May d' Alençon, Tricoti Tricota. Paris. 1939.
- Forty drawings for friends : London 1940-1942 privately printed. 1943.
- Mary Fielding Moore: The Lion Who Ate Tomatoes, and other stories. 1945.
- Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, 1946.
- My First Nursery Book. 1947.
- Franciszka Themerson, UBU. a comic strip, New York, 1970.
- Franciszka Themerson, Music. A Suite of Drawings. 1998.
- Stefan Themerson, The Table that Ran Away to the Woods. 2012.
