- The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. The correct title is Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz.
Self-portrait of Witkacy, 1913 Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, a.k.a. “Witkacy” (February 24, 1885 in Warsaw – September 18, 1939 in Jeziory, Polesie) was a Polish writer and painter.
"Kompozycja", 1922. Oil on canvas. 91 x 115 cm. National Museum in Kraków. Son of Stanisław Witkiewicz. Close friend of Bronisław Malinowski, travelled with him to Oceania. He survived Russian revolution in Petersburg. Later his works are showing his fear of social revolution and foreign invasion, but are written in specific absurd-like language. He made also experiments with drugs and wrote in small notes on his painting, the drug that influenced him at the moment, even if it was only a cup of coffee.
When Poland was indeed invaded by Germany, he escaped with his young lover to Eastern Poland, where he committed suicide, (He lied to the girl, that he's giving her some poison too, while he had cut his vains. She woke up later to find him dead) following Soviet invasion on Poland.
Ministry of Culture of Communist Poland decided to exhume his body, move it to Zakopane and give him a VIP burial. It was performed according to plan, though nobody was allowed to open a coffin delivered by Soviet authorities. "The Two Heads" 1920. Oil on canvas. 65 x 77,5 cm. Art Museum in Łódź. His life made a last absurd joke 50 years after he wrote the last absurd novel.
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