Relax...

Artist: Rene Gruau Italian (1909-2004)

Title: Relax...

Plate: Relax

Description: Condition A.
Original Colour lithograph, backed on Linen
Printed 1954 by Editions Bonsch, Paris.
Reference: Gruau 6, Mer p.257. 

Shipped rolled via FedEx. 
Certificate of Authenticity.

Poster Size: 24 1/2 in x 38 1/2 in 62 cm x 98 cm

Price: $1650.00 Reduced from $1850

"Where the light blue sky meets the deep blue sea, a woman on a red deck chair, asleep under a wide-brimmed yellow hat, is taking advantage of an idle summer moment." (La Mer p.257)

Audrey Hepburn, credit: Habitually Chic

The Audrey Hepburn-like beauty, relaxing in the sun onboard a ocean liner is a true classic in travel poster art.
The 1950's were the last of the golden age of the ocean liners, which would soon be replaced by the jet plane. During the 50's transatlantic crossings were joined by a strong increase in pleasure cruises. This superbly designed, charming poster for the famous shipping company Chargeurs Reunis, brilliantly and elegantly captures the carefree life on a Post-World War II cruise ship.
SS United States behind RMS Queen Elizabeth

“Elegance by its very nature is fluid and consequently difficult to distinct.” 
said René Gruau. He influenced the graphic style of an entire generation of fashion illustrators around the world.
René Gruau in his studio circa 1950

"René Gruau was born in Italy in 1909 of an aristocratic Italian father and a French mother, Marie Gruau, whose name he later took. He settled in Paris in 1924 and embarked on his career as a fashion illustrator.
In the 1940‘s and 50‘s Gruau became a favorite of the haute couture world, working with Femina, Marie-Claire, L’Officiel, L’Album Du Figaro and other “high-style” magazines. Some of Gruau’s best work can be seen in the dramatic visual statements he rendered for Christian Dior, Balenciaga, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Hubert de Givenchy. In 1948 Rene Gruau left for the United States to work for Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, before becoming the exclusive artist for FLAIR.

He produced stunningly beautiful posters for the LIDO, MOULIN ROUGE and BEMBERG, almost right up until his death at the age of 95." (Rene' Gruau by Daisy Love, KingDesignHistory2012)