René Gruau 1909-2004 The Blue gloves Oil on canvas signed lower right Dimensions : 92 x 72 cm Dimensions : 36.22 x 28.35 inch Collection : Roger Fare, Gloves maker 32 avenue Marceau 75008 Paris | +33 (0)1 42 61 42 10 | +33 (0)6 07 88 75 84 | [email protected] | galeriearyjan.com René Gruau 1909-2004 Dimensions with frame : 109 x 89 cm Dimensions with frame : 42.91 x 35.04 inch This painting has been realized around 1940 for Roger Fare, the " king of gloves " in France in the 1940's and 1950's. It has been ordered directly by the glove-maker to René Gruau who begun his carrer in publicity at this time. The artist was already working with Givenchy and many fashion creators. The Roger Fare's house was located in the heart of the 8th district in Paris, the heart of fashion too. It served as a workshop and store for custom-made gloves, and was only decorated with paintings depicting gloved women. In our painting, Gruau has represented an elegant woman in the pure spirit of the woman in his art, leaned on the guardrail of the balcony at the Opera. The eye is immediately attracted by the curve of the red balcony, the red lips of the elegant and of course the color of the gloves. 32 avenue Marceau 75008 Paris | +33 (0)1 42 61 42 10 | +33 (0)6 07 88 75 84 | [email protected] | galeriearyjan.com René Gruau 1909-2004 Biography René Gruau was a fashion designer, illustrator and poster artist. When his parents separated, he had to find work to earn his living. He gave up on becoming an architect and started his career on fashion illustrator in 1924. In 1926, his meeting with the editor of the Milanese Lidel magazine appeared to be a key and he obtained many orders for this magazine. Arround the 1930's, he settled in Paris with his mother where he started to be known and he worked for the magazines Marianne, L'album du Figaro, Femina, Marie-Claire and L'Officiel de la Couture. American and English magazines also ordered him some drawings. If René Gruau dedicated himself to fashion drawing for many years, he turned towards publicity from 1947, urged on by the creations of his friends Christian Dior and Jacques Fath. He worked with luxury Parisian companies, in the area of haute couture, fashion accessories, lingerie, perfumes and also cosmetics. At this time, he realised one of his first advertising drawing for the fragrance Miss Dior from Christian Dior. In 1949, René Gruau created the first poster for Rouge Baiser - Red Kiss, the famous lipstick developped by Paul Baudecroux in 1927. Then he offered a variety of features on this theme and realised many advertisings, of whom the Palais Galliera (Musuem of fashion in Paris) has an original one. In his drawings, he always alluded to refined woman, as elegant as sensual. From 1956 to 1985, he realised posters for the Lido, and, in 1961, he made the costumes and the set for La Belle de Paris, comic opera staged at the Opera Comique in Paris. Between 1961 and 1970, he dedicated his art to publicity and the compagnies Imperméables Blizzand, Eminence, Pancaldi, Bemberg worked with him. He also realised posters for Le Moulin Rouge and les Ballets de Roland Petit. Gruau continued to make fashion drawing and worked with Elle, Madame Figaro, L'Officiel de la Couture and Vogue. Museums Musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris Palais Galliera, Paris Musée Christian Dior, Granville Bibliography " René Gruau pour Christian Dior, Dessins publicitaires ", catalogue d'exposition - Musée des Beaux-Arts d'Orléans, 19 octobre - 31 décembre 1990 " Gruau, Mode et Publicité ", Exposition au Musée de la Mode et du Costume, Palais Galliera, 14 juin - 24 septembre 1989 " René Gruau ", Ed. Herscher, 1986 32 avenue Marceau 75008 Paris | +33 (0)1 42 61 42 10 | +33 (0)6 07 88 75 84 | [email protected] | galeriearyjan.com.