In the case of fairy tales, detached from specific historical realities, Majchrzak’s style took the form of ornamental, colourful compositions, loosely inspired by ancient art. These are sometimes reminiscent of late Gothic tapestries, as in the illustrations to Italo Calvino’s Italian Folktales, at other times of Art Nouveau stained glass, as in Gyula Illyés’ A Flying Castle, or Persian miniature painting, as in Jerzy Rosa’s Travels with Abracadabra. Just as the historical stylisation was linked to the nature of the text, the colour palette was sometimes closely linked to the scenery Majchrzak depicted, as in the case of the Syrian landscape maintained in tones of browns, reds, oranges and yellows in Alina Centkiewicz’s Mufti, Laila’s Donkey
In the last decades of his life, he created sporadically, after parting ways with Truchanowska, publishing mainly occasional illustrations in children’s magazines. He died in Warsaw on 22 February 2011.
Originally written in Polish by Piotr Policht, translated by Patryk Grabowski, July 2022.