Rating and value of works, fashion drawings by René Gruau

If you own a work by or based on the artist René Gruau and would like to know its value, our state-approved experts and auctioneers will guide you.

Our specialists will carry out a free appraisal of your work, and provide you with a precise estimate of its value on the current market. Thereafter, if you wish to sell your work, we will guide you towards the best possible arrangement to obtain the optimum price.

Rating and value of the artist

Famous fashion illustrator of the twentieth century, René Gruau established himself from his lifetime as a sure value on the art market. On today's art market, the artist's quotation is high and continues to rise.

Highly prized by collectors and fashion enthusiasts alike, René Gruau's works are commonplace in auction rooms and can fetch hundreds of thousands of euros at auction. Witness his oil on canvas Rêverie, sold for €146,268 in 2010. 

Order of value from the most basic to the most prestigious

The artist's work and style

René Gruau's illustrations are inspired by'Art nouveau and Toulouse-Lautrec, with unique mannequins and lines. He incorporates Oriental and Japanese techniques, creating a style all his own.

His fashion illustrations remain timeless. He creates a visual identity for couture houses and cabarets, representing grace and elegance, even in extravagant outfits.

René Gruau, designer for the House of Dior

Renato Zavagli-Ricciardelli delle Caminate was born in 1909 in Rimini, Italy. Born into the Italian and Parisian aristocracy, his father was Italian and his mother French (he kept her maiden name and became known as René Gruau as an artist).

After his parents separated, Gruau moved to Milan with his mother and took her name. Young René develops an interest in fashion designs from the age of 14, and starts selling his creations to the Italian magazine Lidel to support himself. He also sold to English and German magazines.

In 1930, Gruau arrived in Paris, where he began his first collaboration with fashion designer Pierre Balmain. It was for him that he produced the first official fashion illustration.

It was also in this year that he met Christian Dior, who was also working as an illustrator for Le Figaro. This meeting marked the beginning of a strong friendship and collaboration. Indeed, René Gruau's work would become models for Dior creations from 1947.

During the Second World War, he was forced to leave Paris and settle in Cannes, where he contracted with International Textiles to design all their covers.                                                                                                           

René Gruau collaborates with numerous couturiers, but also with prestigious French fashion magazines such as Femina, L'Officiel and Madame Figaro. After spending a few years in the USA, he worked for renowned magazines such as Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, before concentrating exclusively on Flair.

He extended his artistic talent to the cabaret and theater fields, where he created posters, costumes and sets for the Lido cabarets, the Moulin Rouge and the Casino de Paris.

A total of 167 brands and fashion houses have used René Gruau's designs. He is particularly famous for keeping fashion design alive, and his designs are recognizable by their original signature.

His career remains closely linked to the house of Dior, with Gruau creating the first ads for the perfume Miss Dior. He continued with the perfume Diorama and then with the iconic lipstick baiser. At the time, Christian Dior was not very keen on photographic campaigns and continued to place his trust in René Gruau.

He was once again commissioned for advertising campaigns for Diormatic and Eau Sauvage, as well as for Diorella. John Galliano, who will take over the artistic direction of the house, will say that Gruau was able to " capture the style and spirit of Dior ".

Galliano, aware of René Gruau's legacy and contribution to the house of Dior, even presented a collection in 2011 paying tribute to the distinctive craftsmanship of his designs and their mythical elegance.

Reasons to sell fashion drawings at auction

Selling fashion drawings at auction is of growing interest to collectors, art lovers and fashion enthusiasts, particularly when the works in question are signed by masters such as Yves Saint Laurent, Elsa Schiaparelli, René Gruau or Paul Iribe.

These artists, emblematic of the 20th century, not only helped define the aesthetics of their era, but their creations continue to influence contemporary fashion and attract buyers' attention on the art market.

Fashion drawings by Yves Saint Laurent, for example, are highly sought-after in auction rooms. This revolutionary designer, who redefined the female silhouette with iconic pieces such as the women's tuxedo, also left a considerable legacy through his sketches.

These works, often produced with great finesse and remarkable precision, capture the very essence of his creations before they are made. In 2009, a collection of his drawings sold at auction for impressive sums, testifying to the growing value of his works.

Buyers see these drawings not only as works of art, but also as fragments of fashion history, reflecting the creative genius of a legendary couturier.

Elsa Schiaparelli, another iconic fashion figure, is also an artist whose drawings are highly prized. Her designs, often marked by a surrealist audacity, are today considered masterpieces of fashion heritage.

Her sketches, sometimes produced in collaboration with artists such as Salvador Dalí, are testament to her avant-garde approach. When they appear at auction, they attract the attention of collectors looking to own a piece of this creative audacity.

In 2017, drawings by Schiaparelli sold for record prices, confirming the craze for his work.

René Gruau, famous for his fashion illustrations and advertising posters, is another artist whose work is highly sought after.

His drawings, which have helped define the image of houses such as Dior, are not only testaments to Parisian elegance, but works of art in their own right. Collectors particularly appreciate his fluid lines and expressive use of color.

In 2010, one of his canvases, "Rêverie", sold for over €146,000, illustrating the strong demand for his work at auction.

Paul Iribe, a pioneer of fashion illustration and collaborator of Gabrielle Chanel, is another figure whose drawings are sought after. His works, which blend modernity and tradition, not only captured the spirit of the 1920s, but continue to be celebrated for their influence on fashion and design.

At auction, his drawings regularly fetch high prices, reflecting the historical and aesthetic importance of his work.

Selling fashion drawings at auction not only enhances the value of unique works of art, but also preserves and passes on a cultural heritage.

These works, which have left their mark on fashion history, continue to fascinate and seduce, whether it's Schiaparelli's bold sketches, Gruau's elegant illustrations, Iribe's visionary drawings or Saint Laurent's iconic creations.

Investing in these pieces, buyers aren't just collecting art; they're acquiring a piece of fashion history, a testament to the creative genius that has shaped decades of style and elegance.

René Gruau's imprint on his era

René Gruau left an indelible mark on the fashion world through his sketches, resisting the rise of photography in his day. His creations have become emblematic, in particular his advertising designs for Dior's Rouge Baiser.

His signature

Not all of René Gruau's works are signed.

Although there are variations, here's a first example of his signature:

Expertise your property

If you own a René Gruau work, feel free to request a free appraisal by filling in our online form. A member of our team of experts and licensed auctioneers will contact you to provide an estimate of the market value of your Gruau work.

If you are considering selling your work, our specialists will also guide you through the various alternatives available to obtain the best possible price, taking into account market trends and the specific features of each work.