An illustrated monograph by Małgorzata Biłozór-Salwa, 'Jan Ziarnko or Jean le Grain? The work of the Lviv artist in seventeenth-century Paris' has enriched the 'Studies and Materials' series published by the Polonics Institute. The publication presents the artistic activities and colourful biography of the Lviv artist active in Lviv in the 17th century. - Jan Ziarnko, known under the nicknames: Jean le Grain, A. Grano, Leopoliensis or Ziarnko Polonus.

The Polish artist-ritualist was born and educated in Lviv. For some time he stayed in Kraków. Later he went to Italy, until he finally settled in France - in Paris. He was associated with the publishing market there in the first quarter of the 17th century, particularly with the environment of the royal court. He mainly created engravings for placards, political allegories, illustrations for prints, portraits or calendars and almanacs. He was interested in alchemy, the theory of geometry and anamorphosis. He was the author of the treatise Perspectivae stereo graphicae (Paris, 1619) on the creation of conical anamorphoses.

Małgorzata Biłozór Salwa's book is not the first monograph on the artist, but the author broadens the scope of her research and - compared to her predecessors - places the whole in the context of the epoch and the realities of three different cities - Lviv, Krakow and Paris - as well as depicting the complex relationships and dependencies between the authorities and artist-ritualists, as peculiar tools used to expand propaganda activities.

The monographic compilation of Jan Ziarnko's artistic output is undoubtedly a unique research event - it is the result of many years of searches conducted in Polish and foreign collections. The essential text is accompanied by a thoroughly compiled catalogue of engravings containing over 50 items, including a rich set of previously unrecognised prints. The author analysed the works in terms of their type, content, social, political and propaganda functions.

The extraordinary monograph on Jan Ziarnko, authored by Małgorzata Biłozór-Salwa, was highly praised by scientific reviewers - Jolanta Talbierska, PhD (Head of the Cabinet of Engravings of the University Library in Warsaw) and Anna Czarnocka, PhD (Custodian of the Department of Collections and Artistic Collections of the Polish Library in Paris).