Jan Pieńkowski (1936-2022)

 

Jan Pieńkowski (1936-2022)

We gave this book to our youngest daughter the year she was five. Her birthday is four days after Christmas.

Jan Pieńkowski was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1936. In 1939, while sheltering in an air raid shelter during a bombing raid in the Second World War, a Polish revolutionary showed him how to make paper cut-outs.

Cut-outs can be made with scissors or knives and the technique, known in China as Jianzhi, has its roots in that country. A single sheet of paper is cut into intricate designs, like the following paper cut celebrating the Year of the Dog.

It is also used in Mexico, where it is known as Papel Picado, when tissue paper is used to make decorations for festivals like Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

Paper cutting was also used to create silhouettes. It was popular in the 18^th century before the advent of photography. Skilled professional practitioners could produce a silhouette in as little as six minutes. The result was sometimes called ‘the poor man’s portrait.’ The French artist, Auguste Edouart (1789-1861) made thousands of silhouettes of well-known people, including Victor Hugo and John Quincy Adams.

It is the silhouette form that was used by Pieńkowski in his illustrations for children’s books. He provided the graphics for Helen Nicoll’s ‘Meg and Mog’ series, and created pop-up books, like ‘Haunted House’ and ‘Robot.’ He was also extremely interested in stage design.

The beauty of his ‘Christmas’ illustrations is in their clarity. They illustrate the words of the Nativity, as related in the King James version of the gospels of Luke and Matthew.

'In the days of Herod the King, the angel Gabriel as sent from God . . . toa virgin . . . '

 The bright star (angel) is shown descending from the heavens.

The angel Gabriel tells Mary of her fate. I love the way she is shown as a young woman hanging out the washing.

Away in a manger . . .

The angel Gabriel tells the shepherds of the baby's birth.

The wise men from the east ask where the new king might be found. 

Herod is mightily troubled.   

The wise men bring gifts to the baby.

The wise men depart, instead of reporting to Herod.
    

'Herod, the king, in his raging,
Charged he hath this day
His men of might in his own sight
All young children to slay.'        

The massacre of the innocents.

Mary and Joseph escape.

After Herod's death, Mary and Joseph return to Nazareth with the baby. 

Jan Pieńkowski created another masterpiece in ‘Easter.’