Who is René Gruau, you ask? He’s only the man behind some of the greatest perfume art to date. A towering artist whose sensational illustrations of perfume bottles and perfume scenes were a first for the fashion industry and remain iconic to this day.
Best known for his work with the late, great Fashion Designer, Christian Dior, in the 1950s and 60s, Gruau was a major figure in the fashion industry who helped usher in a new form of storytelling. A Fashion Illustrator and Ad Man who, through the medium of art, brought to life fashion and fragrance like never before.
Why am I telling you this? Well in February 2021, I was gifted with an excellent book of his (Gruau: Portraits of Men) and just had to share his story. After all, he’s kind of a big deal in fragrance circles (even if he’s not talked about a great deal).
Originally from Italy and with aristocratic roots, Gruau worked for all the big fashion magazines of his day (Vogue, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar) and was Christian Dior’s Artistic Director for Advertising. The mastermind behind such exciting artworks as the original Eau Sauvage illustrations and the early posters for Jules and Miss Dior.
With his distinct painting/drawing style and his capacity for innovation, Gruau made waves in ways that others could only dream of. Achieving stardom in not only France and his native Italy, but also the US and elsewhere.
So, what is Gruau’s style exactly? Essentially, there are three main components to a Gruau composition: bold colours, expressive brush strokes and a clever use of light and dark. Framing is another important aspect of his illustrations. Either Gruau’s characters are very close up and in-your-face, or at a distance and obscured from view altogether.
This curious framing creates an interesting conflict in Gruau’s work, particularly where his fragrance illustrations are concerned. These fragrance illustrations are front and centre in Portraits of Men and feature alongside other great works of his like those for Sir Magazine: a Dutch fashion journal for which Gruau was a major contributor.
Charting Gruau’s work through the ages, the book follows his varying depictions of men and male fragrances. A hardback rich in quotes from famous historical figures on everything from luxury to semiology, the book makes for fabulous reading and is well worth checking out if you get the chance.
Are you a Gruau fan? Are you new to his work? What’s your favourite piece of art by him? Leave a comment below and keep the discussion going.
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