Gruau and the line of beauty : between pure art and advertising

Here is a good opportunity to go to London if you ever need one. René Gruau's work, the famous French illustrator, is showed at the Somerset House from november 2010 to january 2011. All his work is at the very thin line between art and advertising since it is mostly posters and drawings made for Dior. Here is my point : is it still art when it is used in commercial purposes ?

By promoting elegance and charm, Gruau celebrates women like no one did before. He obviously expresses his very own view of what feminity should be. Beauty is never obvious but rather suggested, the line are precise but light. The talent of Gruau is to make us feel like every pieces of work is in perpetual movement, full of life !

Yet, his daring and his sense of freedom perfectly match the identity wanted by Dior. This exhibit is like a luxuous journey through Dior's values and vision. It shows seduction, it shows glamor, it shows a certain sense of adventure. The strenght of this work is beyond the only drawings : you have to look at what is not depicted but only suggested. It make us feel where the true inspiration comes from for both Dior and Gruau. But this exhibit is not only a tribute to Gruau's talent. It is also a way to celebrate a true friendship between two men, René Gruau and Christian Dior. The first one revolutionized the sense of aesthetics and the art of drawing. The second one revolutionized the silhouette and the sense of fashion. Both inspired each other.

Gruau's works seem to be out of time and that's why you will take a real pleasure to walk through the exhibit!