Jan Lewitt

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Jan Lewitt , also "Jan Le Witt" (born April 3, 1907 in Częstochowa , Congress Poland , † 1991 in London , United Kingdom ), was a Polish-British graphic artist , illustrator , poster artist , painter and designer .

life and work

Jan Lewitt came from a Jewish family. After finishing school in Częstochowa, Lewitt toured Europe and the Middle East for three years . He began to work as a self-taught graphic artist and designer, after having already worked in a wide variety of jobs, for example as a worker in mechanical engineering, in soap production, in a distillery, as a bricklayer, agricultural worker, composer, architect and art director was active. In 1929 he designed “ Chaim ”, a Hebrew font based on the design principles of elementary typography . In 1930 he had his first solo exhibition in Warsaw.

In 1933, he met George Him and founded the successful Lewitt-Him design partnership with him in a Warsaw café , which lasted until 1955. The two went to London in 1937 , where they mostly designed posters for the Department of Information during World War II , although some of their first designs were never used. Lewitt became a British citizen in 1947.

In 1955 Lewitt-Him was dissolved again in London. From then on, Jan Lewitt wanted to concentrate on his artistic work as a painter and individual artist. Lewitt worked both as a graphic artist and as an illustrator . He has had solo and group exhibitions across Europe and the United States. At documenta III 1964 in Kassel , works by Lewitt-Him from the 1950s were shown in the graphics department . Lewitt also designed costumes and sets for Sadler's Wells Ballet . He produced tapestries and stained glass .

Important book illustrations

(Selection)

  • Julian Tuwim: Lokomotywa (with George Him, 1934)
  • Jan Lewitt and George Him: The Football's Revolt (1939)
  • Diana Ross: The Little Red Engine gets a Name (with George Him, 1942)
  • Alina Lewitt: Blue Peter (with George Him, 1943), Five Silly Cats (with George Him, 1945)
  • Jan Lewitt: The Vegetabull (1956)

Literature and Sources

  • Read, Herbert Edward, Jean Cassou and John Smith: Jan Le Witt , New York 1971.
  • documenta III. International exhibition ; Catalog: Volume 1: Painting and Sculpture; Volume 2: Hand Drawings; Industrial design, graphics; Kassel / Cologne 1964
  • Mackay, Bertha E .: Illustrators of Children's Books 1744-1945 , Boston 1947, reprinted 1961

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Lewitt, Jan
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Le Witt, Jan
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Polish-British graphic artist, illustrator, poster artist, painter and designer
DATE OF BIRTH April 3, 1907
PLACE OF BIRTH Częstochowa , Congress Poland
DATE OF DEATH 1991
Place of death London