Stefan Norblin

2012

Norblin’s ashes, along with those of his wife, are retrieved from Colma, near San Francisco, and sent to Warsaw, where they receive a formal state funeral. His urn is placed in the Norblin family crypt at Powazki Cemetery.

1982

Stefan Norblin is born in Warsaw, Poland, a descendant of eighteenthcentury painter Jan Piotr (also known as Jean Pierre) Norblin, a key figure in the Polish Enlightenment and a founder of the Polish genre of paintings, who worked on commissions for King Stanisław August Poniatowski and other nobility.

1910

The son of a wealthy factory owner, Norblin is expected to take over the family business on completion of his studies at the Academy of Economy and Trade, Antwerp, but gives it up for a career in art.

1913

Has his first show at Memling Gallery, Amsterdam, where he showcases caricatures and portraits.

1918-39

Still absent from the maps toward the end of the nineteenth century, its territories split and controlled by Russia, Austria, and Prussia, Norblin is appointed to create a series of posters with the intent of promoting Poland as a tourist resort after the end of the first world war. This is aimed to coincide with Poland’s, and particular Krakow’s, rise as a cradle for artistic, cultural, scientific, political and religious life. Despite their recognisable forms and silhouettes, his works appear stunning for the stark choice of ‘neon’ colours, unreal atmosphere, and minimalist style.

1919-21

Serves in the Polish army as translator during the Polish-Soviet War. Settles in Warsaw, after the Treaty of Riga brings the war to an end. It is here that his art career begins, and he soon becomes a recognisable figure in its cultural circles.

1933

Marries film star Lena Zelichowska

1939

Fleeing Nazi persecution, Norblin leaves Poland and winds up in Iraq, where he paints portraits of the royal family.

1941-45

Arrives in Bombay, where he rents an apartment, and makes a career painting portraits for royal families, and frescoes for their palaces. Maharaja Lakhdhirji Waghdji commissions him to create paintings for his palace in Morvi, including Shiva and Parvati on Mount Kailas, a ceiling painting from the Mahabharata that depicts Krishna and Arjuna riding in a chariot, and celestial nymphs painted sensually for the palace bar. For Umaid Bhawan in Jodhpur, the artist adorns the throne room with a series of six monumental murals revolving around the Ramayana. The Triumphant Return of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman to Ayodhya from Lanka, located directly behind the throne, is especially impressive. A mural in the main entrance hall depicts Durgadas Rathore’s victorious battle against the Mughals. Shiva and Parvati on a Cloud with a Holy Fig Tree, present in one of the royal bedrooms, stands out for of its contrasting palette of white, blue, and gold. He also designs the furniture and interiors for the palace as well as for his hunting lodge, Sardar Samand.

1944

Norblin has an exhibition of his works at Cowasji Jehangir Hall, Bombay.

1946

Unwilling to return to his homeland, now under Communist control, and owing to his son’s deteriorating health in India, Norblin sails for New York, arriving, instead, at San Francisco, where he settles down.

1948

Paints a portrait of General Douglas MacArthur which hangs in the Pentagon.

1952

Takes his own life at the age of sixty after being diagnosed with glaucoma, fearing the loss of his eyesight.

1975

Norblin’s son Andrew donates his father’s paintings to the Polish Arts and Culture Foundation, which loans them, long-term, to Polish museums.

1996

German art-historian Claus-Ullrich Simon publishes a book, Art Deco for the Maharajas: Stefan Norblin in India.

2011-13

The Poster Museum in Wilanów, Poland, hosts a retrospective of Norblin’s work featuring posters, graphic art, designs and paintings. The National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi organises ‘Stefan Norblin (1892-1952): A Master of Many Arts’, showcasing work from his Indian and American periods. The exhibition then travels to the Regional Museum, Stalowa Wola, Poland.Chitraanjali: Stefan Norblin in India, a documentary film on the artist, directed by Malgorzata Skiba, focusses on his India career. It tracks his eventful six years in the country as an artist. The film receives honourable mention at the Los Angeles Movie Awards ceremony the following year.