Study Gruau Impermeable Moderne Blizzand Eyes

Oil pastel, ink and marker on study paper. Signed lower right, René Gruau stamp on the back 65 x 50 cm Horned corners History: Gouache study for the Blizzand poster ‘avant la lettre’ (before the text).

When France refurbished its identity after the defeat and deprivation of the Second World War, two men were crucial to the re-establishment of the nation as global supplier of luxuries. One was the couturier Christian Dior, the other his chief visualiser, artist René Gruau, who died aged 95. Here we see the iconic eyes of Audrey Hepburn wearing a red Blizzand coat. It’s all in the eyes. Striking, iconic, and unforgettable.