Painter, illustrator, designer in print and on stage, Franciszka Themerson (née Weinles) was born into a Jewish family in Warsaw, Poland in 1907. Her father was the academic painter, Jakub Weinles, and her mother, Łucja (née Kaufman), was a pianist. Franciszka trained as a painter, graduating with distinction from the Warsaw Academy of Fine Art in 1931. She married Stefan Themerson (1910 Płock, Poland – 1988 London, England) the same year, signalling the beginning of a personal and creative partnership that lasted the rest of their lives. During the early 1930s they worked together on a series of avant-garde films, moving to Paris in 1938, where Franciszka also illustrated children’s books. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, Stefan enlisted in the Polish infantry and Franciszka worked as a cartographer for the Polish government-in-exile, moving to London in 1940. Their years of separation are covered in the volume Unposted Letters.
After being reunited with Stefan in London in 1942, Franciszka became art director (1948–79) of the Gaberbocchus Press which they co-founded, publishing first English editions of Jankel Adler, Guillaume Apollinaire, Alfred Jarry and Kurt Schwitters, among others. In 1957 the Themersons launched the Gaberbocchus Common Room, a meeting place for artists and scientists. In addition to their numerous collaborative projects, Franciszka continued to develop her highly original work as a painter, theatre designer, and illustrator. She held her first solo exhibition of paintings and drawings at Gallery One in 1957 and a retrospective at Halima Nalecz’s Drian Galleries in 1963. She continued to exhibit widely in the UK, Poland and New York.
Franciszka Themerson died in London, England in 1988. Her works can be found in UK public collections, including the Arts Council, Tate Gallery, the British Museum and the Ben Uri Collection. Her work is currently on display in room 20 at Tate Britain, entitled 'Franciszka Themerson – Walking Backwards' and at Ben Uri Gallery, entitled 'Franciszka Themerson – Stories from the Life' (21 February–23 May 2025).
