Władysław Skoczylas was a Polish painter, graphic artist and sculptor. He is considered to be the founder of the Polish school of woodcuts. He began his artistic education at Kraków's Academy of Fine Arts under Teodor Axentowicz and Leon Wyczółkowski. Then he studied sculpture and graphics (woodcuts) in Paris. In 1929 he was the director of the graphic arts department at the Warsaw School of Fine Arts. His woodcuts were characterized by expression, gloomy atmosphere and fairy-tale impression. To some extent, he referred both to the folk art of Podhale and to the school of old masters.
