René Gruau (1909-2004).
His name has been synonymous with exquisite refinement and seductive Flair for the past 50 years. In the 40’s and ‘50’s, he brought the art of fashion illustration to a new “Belle Epoque” and became the favored artist of the Haute Couture world. Combining a free and expressive use of line with a classical sense of restraint, Gruau creates subtle, sensual works of art.
He was born in 1909 into an old Italian family as Count Renato Zavagli-Riciardelli delle Caminate and published his first drawing at the age of 14. At 18, he was being commissioned by Italian, French and English magazines.. In the early 1930s, his mother moved to her native Paris where he took her family name, Gruau. For René Gruau, his mother would always remain the embodiment of the values and charms of society, of elegance and aristocracy of manners. Through his close friendship to Christian Dior, Gruau entered the world of advertising graphics. Gruau’s classic style was a perfect complement to Dior’s designs, and very soon he became instrumental in developing the image not only for Dior’s perfumes but for many famous luxury products, including “Rouge Baiser”, “Bas Scandale” etc. From the late 40s onward, the “Gruau Style” blazed across the covers and pages of the world’s leading fashion magazines: Silhouette, Vogue, l’Officiel, Le Magazine du Figaro, International Textiles, Flair etc. Gruau’s designs, ads and illustrations characterize the graphic art of the forties and fifties as no other works have done. The widespread reproduction of these works and Gruau’s incredible productivity magnified their impact. The era had found its true artist. Retrospective exhibitions of his art have been held in Paris, Rome, Munich, Cologne, New York and Tokyo museums.
His name has been synonymous with exquisite refinement and seductive Flair for the past 50 years. In the 40’s and ‘50’s, he brought the art of fashion illustration to a new “Belle Epoque” and became the favored artist of the Haute Couture world. Combining a free and expressive use of line with a classical sense of restraint, Gruau creates subtle, sensual works of art.
He was born in 1909 into an old Italian family as Count Renato Zavagli-Riciardelli delle Caminate and published his first drawing at the age of 14. At 18, he was being commissioned by Italian, French and English magazines.. In the early 1930s, his mother moved to her native Paris where he took her family name, Gruau. For René Gruau, his mother would always remain the embodiment of the values and charms of society, of elegance and aristocracy of manners. Through his close friendship to Christian Dior, Gruau entered the world of advertising graphics. Gruau’s classic style was a perfect complement to Dior’s designs, and very soon he became instrumental in developing the image not only for Dior’s perfumes but for many famous luxury products, including “Rouge Baiser”, “Bas Scandale” etc. From the late 40s onward, the “Gruau Style” blazed across the covers and pages of the world’s leading fashion magazines: Silhouette, Vogue, l’Officiel, Le Magazine du Figaro, International Textiles, Flair etc. Gruau’s designs, ads and illustrations characterize the graphic art of the forties and fifties as no other works have done. The widespread reproduction of these works and Gruau’s incredible productivity magnified their impact. The era had found its true artist. Retrospective exhibitions of his art have been held in Paris, Rome, Munich, Cologne, New York and Tokyo museums.
