Rene Gruau.
Italian, 1909-2004
I’ve always been struck by this artist’s work
His art is simple. There is way more unpainted surface in his work than anything else. Characters are mostly suggested. And then, there is this thick, lush black line. Not hidden at all. Not there to help the drawing, it IS the drawing.
It is rough and unfinished in parts but makes no attempt at hiding itself, often the most important aspect of the image.
I remember seeing the first image in this post when I was a kid, and being shocked at how clearly I understood this image, but except for the hand, there was NOTHING that I could learn how to draw.
I was already interested in comics, telling stories visually at the time, and figured I needed to learn how to draw to get there. I was looking at art and trying to understand the thinking behind the choices. Sometimes I thought.. oh.. this is badly drawn, but I understand it, or, this is really well drawn but I don’t like it.
And there was Gruau. Gorgeous, powerful art that I could not reverse engineer.
I understood how it was done. I could probably identify each tool, the type of canvas. I could probably figure out the process, the brushstrokes even.
But I couldn’t figure out HOW Gruau thought. What made him see a simple brushstroke and think“ THIS IS A HAT ON A HEAD”and make it feel expensive, luxurious and sensual.
It was monumental to me. It defied classification.
I stopped trying to understand it and started appreciating the experience of the art.
It is so unique, so powerfully confident in its statement of “ THIS is a fully finished painting. It needs nothing more, nothing less”
Later, I learned more about his life, his influences, Toulouse Lautrec, Mucha, The impressionists and have they were ALL influenced by Japanese print. ( I should do a series of post about that because the history of it is amazing).
I also noticed a few comic book artists inspired by Gruau’s work. Some more than others.
One of my favorites, Hugo Pratt definitely had a few looks at Gruau’s work. And, pushing it to more modern times, how today’s art is partially a response to Gruau’s and just about all forms of art that have come before.
The idea of these connections is amazing to me.
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