Author unknown, W.S. - For Freedom, Warsaw 1947

Ink drawing on paper with warm, slightly darkened tones. The composition is vertical, with a central figural scene and an inscription in the lower part. In the center is a dynamic group of figures. The most important figure - a worker stands on a barricade and raises high a red-and-white flag. Around him are visible other figures of revolutionaries - identical to the painting by Delacroix. The background is filled with wavy, densely hatched gunpowder smoke.
In the lower part of the sheet there is a clear inscription "FOR FREEDOM" in printed letters. The signature "W.S." is visible nearby. along with the date "47".
Drawing in ink on paper,
Dimensions: approx. 24.5 x 18 cm.
Condition: as in the photos.
The presented work is an illustration to the short story "For Freedom" included in the book O świcie (K. Lausz, K. Staszewski, Z. Zwierzchowska-Ferencowa), published in Warsaw in 1947. The composition has a clear ideological-propaganda character, typical of post-war official publications aimed at young readers.
The graphic is an interpretation of Eugène Delacroix's famous painting Freedom Leading the People to the Barricades. The adaptation of this motif to Polish soil gives the scene a universal dimension, combining the tradition of European revolutionary iconography with the experience of the struggle for independence in the 20th century.
The signature "W.S." allows tying the work to a specific set of drawings, but its unambiguous attribution remains uncertain. The link to Wladyslaw Strumilla indicated in the literature is hypothetical and requires further research.
The work is an interesting example of postwar book illustration, combining a utilitarian function with a high artistic level. Its significance stems both from the publishing context and from the skillful transformation of the canonical iconographic pattern.