René Gruau

Count Renato Zavagli Ricciardelli delle Caminate,[2] professionally known as René Gruau (4 February 1909 – 31 March 2004)[1] was a fashion illustrator whose exaggerated portrayal of fashion design through painting has had a lasting effect on the fashion industry. Because of Gruau's inherent skills and creativity, he contributed to a change in the entire fashion industry through the new pictures that represented the already popular designs created by designers in the industry. The benefits, including economic stimulation and enhancement of advertising are still present in the industry today via a new way of fashion illustration, fashion photography. Gruau became one of the best known and favorite artists of the haute couture world during the 1940s and 50s working with Femina, Marie Claire, L'Officiel, L'Album Du Figaro and an assortment of "high-style" magazines.[3] Gruau's artwork is recognized and commended internationally in some of Paris and Italy's most prestigious art museums including the Louvre in Paris and the Blank in Italy. In addition to his international fame and recognition, "Gruau's artwork is known for its timeless and enduring style".[3]

Career

Gruau's artistic talent in fashion illustration merited him publication at the age of 14 and by the time he reached 18, he was published internationally, in the US, Italy, and France. In his lifetime, Gruau worked for numerous magazines including Marie-Claire, Femina, Elle, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Flair, L'Officiel, Madame Figaro, and L'Officiel de la Couture. Gruau was hired by major designers like Pierre Balmain, Christian Dior, Jacques Fath, Balenciaga, Elsa Schiaparelli, Rochas, Lanvin, Elizabeth Arden, and Hubert de Givenchy. Gruau gave life to their haute couture clothing and expanded their popularity with his captivating illustrations.

Gruau, whose posters often echoed both classical Japanese drawings and Toulouse-Lautrec's sketches of fin de siècle Paris night life, was perhaps best known for creating the marketing images for Miss Dior perfume and for Rouge Baiser lipstick. According to Alan Riding of the New York Times, "everything he did, he evoked the glamour and style of the world of high fashion".[4] Because the technical age of the 20th century had yet to emerge, Gruau's pictures were the advertisements of the time and gave marketing and presentation of clothing a new brilliant flair.

Gruau, whose posters for Le Lido cabaret include the 1972 revue, Grand Jeu.[7]

Gruau's first position as artistic director for advertising was in 1947 with Christian Dior. The two together formed the "New Look" of the time, partially a result of Dior's designs, and partially a result of Gruau's combined interpretation and upgrading of old-style graphic illustration.[8] Gruau formed a friendship with Dior that contributed to their successful collaboration and further enlargement of fashion advertisement, which a primary reason he is mostly remembered for his work with Dior.

Gruau moved to the United States in 1948 to work for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.[8] He remained with the magazine for two years, and then went to work as sole illustrator for Flair. There were exhibitions of Gruau's work at the Paris Musée du Costume in 1989 and Musée de la Publicité in 1999. Gruau's birthplace, Rimini, holds a permanent collection in its city museum.[8] Today Gruau's works are in the permanent collections of many art institutions, including the Louvre in Paris.[3]

birth name	Renato Zavagli Ricciardelli delle Caminate‡R1R‡
birth date	February 4, 1909
birth place	Rimini, Italy
death date	March 31, 2004
death place	Rome, Italy
field	Fashion illustration
movement	Modern fashion
works	* La Dolce Vita poster, 1959 Moulin Rouge, 1963 Women in Industry, 1980 Black Curl, 1984
resting place	Monumental Cemetery of Rimini

Personal life

Career

Death

Impact on fashion

Influences

External links

References