RENÉ GRUAU (RENATO DE ZAVAGLI, 1910-2004) ROYAL BLIZZAND. 1958. 46 1/4x31 1/4 inches, 117 1/2x79 1/2 cm. Cinemato, Paris. Condition A: unobtrusive vertical and horizontal folds. The most acclaimed fashion illustrator of the post-war years, Gruau created sparse compositions of languid, sophisticated models, delineated with bold lines and bright colors, ushering in a "new look" in the late 1940s. The world of haute couture embraced him: "with lines as lean as his elongated models, a gash of bright lips or a wash of color, René Gruau summed up an era. The elegant and aristocratic graphic artist . . . captured with his pen and brush the spirit of haute couture and the glory days of Parisian high fashion" (New York Times, April 13, 2004). His most emblematic campaigns were for Dior (for whom he worked for over 30 years), Le Rouge Basier, Le Lido and Blizzand, a brand of raincoats for whom he designed advertising from the mid 1950s through the mid 1960s. The coats are the immediate focus of this image; the elegance of the young couple and the bright red pop of a sports car serve to perfectly imbue the clothing with fashion-forward, yet timeless appeal.
