Stefan Norblin - one of the leading art deco artists
After the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, the eminent Polish painter, draughtsman, poster artist, set designer and designer Stefan Norblin (1892-1952) left Poland forever with his wife, the actress Helena (Lena) Żelichowska. Through Romania and Turkey, they both reached Baghdad, where Norblin painted several portraits of the Iraqi king and his family. At the end of 1940, the artist settled with his wife in India.

He worked in Bombay, where he mainly created portraits, and in the residences in Morwi, Patna and the new palace commissioned by the Maharaja of Marwar (Jodhpur) Umaid Singh, he painted portraits of rulers and their families, wall paintings, oil paintings with mythological and historical scenes. He also designed art deco interiors in the Morwar and Jodhpur palaces.

Conservation of Norblin's works in India
In 2006, conservation work began on Norblin's works, damaged mainly by climatic conditions. The work - financed thanks to funds from the Programme of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage 'Protection of Cultural Heritage Abroad' obtained by the Association of Conservators of Antiquities - was carried out by Polish conservators, under the direction of Józef Steciński, together with Indian specialists. The work was coordinated by the Department of Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (now the Department of Cultural Heritage Abroad and War Losses) and the Polish Embassy and the Polish Institute in New Delhi. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs financed the costs associated with the conservators' flights to India.

The first stage of conservation work involved six wall paintings in the Oriental Hall of the palace in Jodhpur (mythological-religious scenes), followed by wall paintings in the exhibition hall (scenes from the history of Jodhpur) and a glass painting in the maharani suite. Subsequent stages included the conservation of the easel paintings from the Maharaja's Hunting Room and the Maharaja's suite. The conservation work at Jodhpur was completed in February 2011. The Jodhpur Palace is open to the public and, along with Mehrangarh Fort, is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Rajasthan.

The interior designs of the Umaid Bhawan Palace, executed by Stefan Norblin, are also preserved in the Jodhpur collection. They were subjected to conservation treatment by specialists from the National Archives in Olsztyn in 2008.

The programme of events in India in 2011 related to the life and work of Stefan Norblin during the Indian period was a series of events conducted during the Polish Presidency of the EU Council, including as part of the cultural programme of the Polish Presidency:

. 1. presentation of the exhibition 'Stefan Norblin (1892-1952). Versatile Artist' ('Stefan Norblin (1892-1952). Master of Many Arts') at the Regional Museum in Stalowa Wola (September 2011), the National Gallery of Contemporary Art in New Delhi (November 2011) and its branch in Mumbai (December 2011 - January 2012). The exhibitions were accompanied by a catalogue published by the Regional Museum in Stalowa Wola, in Polish and English.

2. the premiere of the documentary film 'Chitraanjali. Stefan Norblin in India' ('Chitraanjali. Stefan Norblin in India'). Film produced by the National Audiovisual Institute and the Polish Embassy in New Delhi.

3. presentation of the effects of conservation work in the form of multimedia kiosks permanently installed in the museum space of the palace in Jodhpur (November 2011), financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, designed by Maciej and Marek Mikulski in collaboration with Dorota Janiszewska-Jakubiak.

4. publication of the album 'Stefan Norblin', edited by Professor Anna Sieradzka, devoted to the artist's work. The album contains essays by Anna Sieradzka, Monika Chudzikowska, Agnieszka Kasprzak, Małgorzata Reinhard-Chlanda, Józef Steciński, as well as colour and black-and-white illustrations, contemporary and archival, showing the work and life of the artist, selected and elaborated by Dorota Janiszewska-Jakubiak (published by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Department of Cultural Heritage, City of Stalowa Wola, Regional Museum in Stalowa Wola; Stalowa Wola 2011).

Bringing in the ashes of Norblin and his wife Lena Żelichowska
. The symbolic closure of the project was the bringing to Poland from San Francisco and burial of the ashes of Stefan Norblin and his wife, Lena Żelichowska, found by Agnieszka Kasprzak. The campaign to find the burial place and bring the artists' ashes to Poland was funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. Contrary to earlier information, the ashes of Stefan Norblin and his wife were not scattered by the bay in San Francisco, but were deposited in cemeteries near that city. With the permission of his son, Andrew Norblin, they were brought to Poland.

The funeral mass was held on 12 October 2012 at the Church of St Charles Borromeo. The urns were laid to rest in the Norblin family tomb at Stare Powązki. On the same day, a commemorative plaque, funded by the district authorities, was unveiled in Warsaw's Bielany district, on Gdańska Street, in Stawy Kellera park - the place where Stefan built his house, called Kaskada. In the evening, the opening of the exhibition at the Poster Museum in Wilanów, under the patronage of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Art Out of Time. Stefan Norblin (1892-1952). Paintings and works from Polish collections were presented, with an emphasis on the role of the poster, as well as an American collection from San Francisco, owned by the Polish Arts and Culture Foundation.

The project to conserve Stefan Norblin's artistic legacy in India continues at the palace in Morwi (Morbi).