He studied at the Academies of Fine Art in Krakow and Warsaw, 1949–55. He is very versatile: as well as being another great Polish poster designer who produced more than 200 posters, he is a baroque calligrapher, a painter, a draughtsman who, in his own words, ‘lives in the 17th century’, a stage designer, TV and theatre set designer and a maker of TV films. Fame brought him a fi lm poster award in Cannes (1974), a gold medal at the Film Festival of Chicago (1979), two prizes at the Warsaw Biennale, and the Silver Hugo award (1982). Franciszek works with richly ornamental brushstrokes. His favourite motifs are the passing of time, death and the edges of civilization. He impresses spectators with his consistency, power, and intellectual impact. Some of his work is signed Jan Byk. (It’s not said why, but it is no doubt easier to read and pronounce.)