Władysław Szymanowski was a Polish actor, singer, director, magazine and book illustrator. He was the son of Wojciech Szymanowski and Joanna nee Meissner, the grandson of the singer Marcin Szymanowski and the brother of the actress Wiktoryna Bakaławiczowa.

He graduated from Music School of the Warsaw.

In 1868, he married Teofila Kwiatkowska in the parish church of St. John (cathedral) in Warsaw. They had a son, Marian Marcin.

The actor was associated with the Warsaw Government Theatres and the Rozmaitości Theatre. As a theatre actor, he was known mainly for his comic and character roles in plays by A. Fredro, M. Bałucki and J. Bliziński, among others. According to the magazine “Teatr”, he was one of the first Polish dramatic monologists.

He also worked as an illustrator, e.g. for “Kłosy” and “Tygodnik Ilustrowany”.

Buried at the Powązki Cemetery.