Monday, June 8, 2009






1940’s-50’s    Rene’ Gruau

Rene’ Gruau was born in Italy in 1909 of an aristocratic Italian father and a French mother, Marie Gruau, whose name he took. He settled in Paris in 1924 and embarked on his career as a fashion illustrator. His earliest drawings were published in Italy, Germany and England.

From 1935 to 1939, he worked with FEMINA, MARIE-CLAIRE, L’OFFICIEL, L’ALBUM DU FIGARO and other magazines.

In 1946, he did his first job for INTERNATIONAL TEXTILES, whose covers he designed until1984.

In 1947, his friend Christian DIOR entrusted him with drawing the MISS DIOR advertisement and the famous bar dress .the New Look was born.

In 1948, he left for the United States to work for HARPERS BAZAAR and VOGUE, before becoming the exclusive artist for FLAIR.

In 1949, he devoted his time to advertising: ROUGE BAISER, LIDO, MOULIN ROUGE, BEMBERG, BLIZZARD.

Between 1950 and now, he has worked for the greatest name sin Haute Couture: BALMAIN, FATH, BALENCIAGA, GIVENCHY, ROCHAS. Whilst continuing to produce fashion drawings for ELLE, VOGUE, FRANCE, MADAME FIGARO and L’OFFICIEL DE LA COUTURE.

 

With his stunning, passionate, figures, his arresting use of color and dramatic, explosive element of line, Rene Gruau developed his distinctive “New Look” in the 1940’s which greatly impacted haute couture, theatre, art, and commercial design. With his trademark use of his powerful minimal line, Gruau’s style combined seductive sophistication with classic beauty, grace and sensual elegance.  The quality of the visual appeal of his glamorous and radiant  “beautiful people” is at once bold and languid. Internationally Gruau’s artwork is celebrated internationally noted for its exceptional and masterful line, and its timeless, enduring style.  

 Today Gruau’s works are collected and exhibited by the finest art institutions including the Louvre in Paris. Rene Gruau’s artistic passion, intensity and technical brilliance have left a high-water mark on art history. 

 

http://www.renegruau.com/

http://www.artnet.com/artist/641308/rene-gruau.html

http://www.americanfineartgallery.com/artist_bios/gruau_bio.html

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1014505/Rene-Gruau

http://www.woodmansterne.co.uk/rene.htm

 

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