Project of the statue of Marshal Józef Piłsudski, 1937
Depiction of Marshal Józef Piłsudski on a pedestal from 1937. Figure made from a stained plaster. The figure was part of a larger design taking into account architectural and urban solutions. It also took part in the competition announced on 1 February 1936 for the monument of Marshal Józef Piłsudski at Na Rozdrożu Square in Warsaw. In the jury there were among others: sculptor Xawery Dunikowski, the president of Warsaw Stefan Starzyński, marshal Edward Śmigły-Rydz, painter Wojciech Jastrzębski and general Bolesław Wieniawa-Długoszowski. In total, 58 projects took part in the competition.
The process of selecting the best design was very complex. Full anonymity was ensured and each project was given a number. The names of the artists were placed in sealed envelopes and stamped with numbers and coats of arms so effectively that to this day the authors of some works are still unknown. Jan Szczepkowski's project was among the other three selected for further evaluation. After some time, it was decided to organize a second round. To the group of the three winners mentioned earlier, other significant Polish artists were invited (among them the previous judge Dunikowski) as well as some foreign creators. At the jury session Szczepkowski’s project got 1 vote, losing to Xawery Dunikowski who got 11 votes. The outbreak of World War II interrupted the work on the monument, while the post-war reality completely prevented its implementation.