Zdzisław Beksiński (24 February 1929 – 21 February 2005) was a renowned Polish painter, photographer, and sculptor who is best known as a fantasy artist. Beksiński executed his paintings and drawings either in what he called a 'Baroque' or a 'Gothic' manner. The first style is dominated by representation, with the best-known examples coming from his 'fantastic realism' period when he painted disturbing images of a surrealistic, nightmarish environment. The second style is more abstract, being dominated by form, and is typified by Beksiński's later paintings.
Originally a school teacher with no particular interest in painting. One day Beksiński was driving to work when he ran a red light at a railway crossing. His car was hit by a train and Beksiński went into a coma where he stayed for a considerable period of time. When he woke up from his coma Beksiński began describing fantastic worlds he had visited while in a coma. It was at this time also that he began painting the worlds he had seen while in a coma. Beksiński was stabbed to death in 2005.
