Rene Gruau, Portraits Of Men, by Assouline Publishing

BY RÉJANE BARGIEL AND SYLVIE NISSEN 9½ X 12 IN – 24 X 30.5 CM 260 PAGES | 250 ILLUSTRATIONS HARDCOVER WITH JACKET

I've been rather late on posting about this one. I wasn't even aware of the book until I saw it on Mr Porter two weeks ago, but apparently it has been out since November(?!). Assouline are known for being a brilliant and well respected publisher, so I'm not quite sure as to why this book has not been promoted more. Maybe I have just been living under a rock the last two months, buried in work, I don't know.

That aside, it's fantastic to finally see a dedicated book to Gruau's menswear illustrations. When I was asked to respond to his mens work for the Dior Illustrated exhibit at Somerset House, only a little over two years ago, even then I found it difficult to find much of it online. Since the exhibit and also one including Gruau's works at the Design Museum, it completely revitalised interest, culminating in considerable amounts of his work appearing online, frequent referencing in press, and a selection of his mens illustrations exhibited at the Paul Smith art store in London, put together by F.I.G in collaboration with Paul Smith. As I have yet to physically see the book to review it properly, I've included all the available spreads that are shown online along with a few press images (my copy is in the post). Of course, much of this is in the older post I made on Gruau's male imagery a while back, but there still manages to be some work that is fresh to my eyes.

I should point out, ALL books on Gruau seem to sell out quickly and accrue in value quickly too, so if you are thinking of purchasing, don't hesitate too long. . . .

Accompanying press release from Assouline:

Primarily known for his colorful and vivacious portrayals of women, René Gruau revolutionized the concept of masculinity in fashion imagery and advertising from the 1950s to the ’80s, depicting the modern casual, confident man with humor and sex appeal—including images of partial male nudity that were considered shocking at the time.

“Since the 1940s, the name of René Gruau has been associated with the world of fashion. Particularly affiliated with the house of Dior, for which he created some of the most iconic images in the history of fashion and beauty, Gruau also lent his unparalleled style to some of the most creative magazines of the era and to numerous advertising campaigns. Beginning in the early 1960s, he revolutionized the image of the modern man, who he depicted with a mix of humor, sex appeal, ease, and elegance. In 1956, he offered his creative services to Christian Dior for his “Dior pour hommes” collection. His work led him to meet the most avant-garde fabric manufacturers of that time, such as the house of Dormeuil, who were at the forefront in developing new materials. This previously unpublished work, taken from several of Gruau’s personal sketchbooks, is present in this book for the first time—a true lesson in fashion history.”

New Exhibition - The Gruau Man

Having just recently posted an extra large post on all of Rene Gruau's mens illustrations here, I'm absolutely delighted to see that The Fashion Illustration Gallery in association with Paul Smith will be launching a new exhibition on the 21st March, The Gruau Man.

I will most DEFINITELY be attending, any chance to see Gruau's work up close is always one that shouldn't be missed. The exhibition will focus largely on his work with Sir Magazine, which you can see more of the covers for here.

More details from the press release:

RENÉ GRUAU ( 1 9 0 9 - 2 0 0 4 )
THE GRUAU MAN
WEDNESDAY MARCH 21ST - SATURDAY APRIL 21ST 2011
PAUL SMITH, No.9 ALBEMARLE STREET, LONDON W1S 4BL

Fashion Illustration Gallery in association with Paul Smith No.9 Albemarle Street is delighted to present The Gruau Man an exhibition of works on paper made by René Gruau featuring only men.

The works exhibited span a 16 year period from 1956 to 1972. They were prepared for the front covers of the magazine Sir: Men’s International Fashion Journal. Published quarterly in Amsterdam by Ludwig Katz, Sir was the baby brother publication of
International Textiles magazine whose Gruau covers FIG exhibited at The Mayor Gallery at the end of 2010.

On the surface, crafted in gouache and felt tip pen, Gruau’s man is chiselled, groomed, suave and sophisticated. Suited and booted he is always dapper, sometimes depicted with a strategically dipped Trilby hat and occasionally accessorized with an umbrella or cigarette. He’s the picture of simmering machismo. He’s the man about town, a real life James Bond in control of every situation he finds himself in.
Beneath the surface and the primary colours Gruau’s man, for all his brooding self assuredness makes Lichtenstein’s Brad look positively three dimensional. When he appears with a suitcase you can’t be sure that he’s really going anywhere and the longer he strikes a pose and stares out of his frame the more one realises his eyes are connecting only with his own. He’s looking in the mirror and we repeatedly catch him doing so.

Gruau’s man is to Gruau’s woman what Ken is to Barbie or Leandro Penna is to Katie Price. He’s a piece of arm candy an accessory to fashion. He’s Gruau’s fantasy Action Man.

These works have rarely been shown. In 1972, Sir works were exhibited in Holland and a small group were recently showcased in London. Works for the covers of two issues of Sir, dated 1957 and 1962, are featured in a recent monograph on Gruau, and
another appears in Cally Blackman’s 100 Years of Fashion Illustration.

The Men of Rene Gruau

Just over a year ago I was asked to be a part of the exhibition 'Dior Illustrated: Rene Gruau and the Line of Beauty' at Somerset House in London. Being predominantly a menswear illustrator, I was chosen to respond to Gruau's male depictions, and produce an original piece. Although I'd seen his work before, I had never thought to study it at length, and researching more now, I realise just how many illustrations Gruau produced. It easily goes into the four figures area. There are so many out there that it boggles the mind, nearly all with his recognisable style and line play. I thought with this post it would be great to focus on his mens illustrations alone, knowing that they are often neglected when it comes to focusing on his more iconic works.

With the mens illustrations in particular, it's noticeable how Gruau changed his line tactics in portraying men. He often reduced women down to a few simple lines, creating fluid, elegant, stylish and suggestive works that were more creative and expressive than diagrammatic or representational. With his men, he focused on the ability to use negative space, stronger lines and bolder colours to channel a masculine identity. The fact that Gruau was able to confidently convey male and female sensuality through such subtle differences in technique is astounding.

Easily the most popular of all where the Dior Sauvage ads, which where often composed as scenes using just a few main components. Bold black, bold red, a fully realised male figure - mostly nude or in a towel, and postures and facial expressions that gave the man his character, which was usually laid back, collected and debonair.
This style of gentleman followed throughout most of his work, an identifiably cool customer, always relaxed. There was a great sense of humour and ease to the works which gave them a great sex appeal, the hairy legs of a Sauvage man in a bathrobe, the man struggling to hold up a colossal bouquet of roses.
Rare examples of other looks Gruau tried in his men included the long & untamed hair men in two Dior Sauvage ads that I cannot seem to find anywhere, save for two tiny thumbnails on the official Rene Gruau Site. (These admittedly aren't as effective as his other depictions and have been less favoured by most).
Also his Dormeuil men of the 80s are significantly stronger in their appearance, due in part to the times of the 80s powersuit and also for brand image. There's also one rare pencil drawing (currently available at Christie's auction house) which I haven't come across before.

Rene also produced 48 original cover illustrations for Sir Magazine, all of which can be seen HERE. Amazing gallery, so rather than repost them all here, make sure you take a look, his variation and simplicity continue to be of great inspiration to any illustrator. It's a great shame the official website for Rene Gruau is rather gross and unnappealing. His work is so protected that it offers not much more than tiny thumbnails to view, all cocooned in a poor website design.

Another website which is brilliant for seeing hundreds, literally, at least 500 more of Gruau's work is www.hprints.com, just search 'rene gruau'. There are nearly a hundred illustrations in this post so be warned of long loading times / scrolling.





for Christian Dior:

Dior: Jules fragrance





Unpublished illustrations for Jules, 1980.

Dior: Eau Sauvage:














Continue Reading . . .

Rene Gruau

Christian Dior are putting together a fantastic exhibition of the work of Rene Gruau, the prolific illustrator who became synonymous with the Dior Brand through illustrating the advertisements and posters, and a whole host of non-dior related work.







I'd never seen his work in depth before as somehow, he seems to have escaped my research and discoveries. But the more I've looked into his work, the more shocked I am at how seriously influential it clearly was.





I can see the work of David Downton and many other key illustrators within his style. His sparing use of line and shape manage to depict so much with so little; A quality I've always tried to attain within my own work, Gruau's depictions make me feel like I've discovered the true root of all influence within this style of work. I know that's not the case, as I'd be ignoring all art periods prior to Gruau, but it just feels like such a monumental discovery in terms of my own aesthetic.







The mens' illustrations in particular are a sharp contrast to the women's, showing Gruau wasn't only adept at the feminine curves and lines of women, but also representing men by using strong masculine compositions and ambiguous imagery.






Make sure you check out the exhibition starting 10th November, at Somerset House. Dior are also commissioning five contemporary UK illustrators (one of which is myself :-) ) to do a modern response to Gruau's work, which will be included in the exhibition and available in signed prints. More details on the official site.