(b Lany, nr Warsaw, 14 Jan 1904, d Warsaw, 21 March 1958). Polish painter, illustrator, metalworker, designer and writer. From 1924 to 1929 he studied at the Warsaw School of Fine Arts, where he was later an assistant professor (1927–30, 1933–5). From 1929 to 1930 he studied in France. He exhibited his works from 1928 until his death. At the beginning of his career he concentrated on painting, to which he later returned. He became a popular cartoon artist while working for the satirical weekly Szpilki from 1935 to 1939 and from 1946 to 1958. His illustrations to the works of N. V. Gogol and Fyodor Dostoyevsky were highly acclaimed. Grunwald mastered various techniques in metalworking, until 1939 concentrating on jewellery and promoting abstract forms; he also made lighting equipment, particularly lamps, sconces and chandeliers. During this period he introduced avant-garde features into traditional Polish metalwork. In the post-war period he accepted commissions for monumental works, for example gates, screens, mantelpiece designs and lighting units. In Warsaw he designed the decorative elements for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier between Liberty Square and the Saxonian Garden, and for many public buildings, for example interior features such as lamps and chandeliers, as well as iron gates and balustrades, for the Office of the Council of Ministers, and the Belvedere Palace. He also designed the gates of the Polish embassies in Berlin and Beijing and wrote poetry and articles on art issues.

• Grunwald, Henryk
  • Poland, §IX, 2: Base metals
  • Warsaw, §IV, 1: Centre of metalwork production