Before the rule of the great fashion photographers including Newton and Demarchelier, the high fashion bibles were lit up with the luminous illustrations of artists such as Antonio (Lopez), Erte and Gruau. With the modern predominance of photography in the fashion industry, the role of the fashion illustrator is no longer as pivotal as it once was - but a recent sale of illustrator Rene Gruau's work showed that there is still a great level of appreciation for the art form.
The pieces listed for sale at the Christie's auction house were estimated at approximately £3000 but most reached prices over the £10,000 mark. Reminiscent of Toulouse Lautrec's images of Parisian nightlife, Gruau's sparse lines and spare colour palette bestow a bold strength and confident presence to his subjects- biographer Gilles de Bure noted that "Gruau's women are not gamines and never pinups".
His "women" have worn the most iconic of labels; Balenciaga, Balmain, Givenchy, Lanivin and Dior, in some of the most prestigious magazines; Marie Claire, Vogue, Elle and Harper's Bazaar. They now grace the halls of the most illustrious gallery in the world, The Louvre and, since the auction, the walls of some very lucky collectors. Its nice to see that the work of the fashion illustrator is still relevant and appreciated in today's 'instant' culture; a step back and a moment taken to appreciate the finery of both the art and the fashion.
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