Jerzy Panek, Self-Portrait

crayon, paper, size 31 x 22 cm, signed and dated in pencil down "9.4.81. Panek"

Jerzy Panek (1918 - 2001) is a graphic artist and painter, a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow and later its honorary professor. An outstanding wood engraver, to which he devoted himself almost entirely to the graphic technique. Called "Great Woodcutter" by his colleagues, in the simplicity of his compositions he maintained a distance and ironic humor. The deformation of the solid, characteristic of his representations, also did not escape his own portraits - rubbishy images of the artist obtained with synthetic straight lines and the color of crayon on paper - the most commonly used medium. He treated his painting and drawing works as private and personal. This makes them all the more valued by collectors. He presented his graphic works more widely, bringing him widespread recognition and numerous awards.