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Lot Essay
Sold with certificate of authenticity signed by Gruau.
cf. R. Bargiel and S. Nissen, René Gruau, Paris, 1999, p. 70 for the preliminary ink sketch for this project.
This design for a poster can deservedly claim a privileged place in the story of great poster design for the Paris stage. Conveying his characteristic impression of creative spontaneity, artist René Gruau has conjured forth a striking evocation of the spectacle of the Moulin Rouge, the most emblematic bastion of Parisian musical revue. Reviving a tradition established by Henri de Toulouse Lautrec during the Belle Epoque, Gruau's eye-catching posters for the Moulin Rouge and the Lido deftly convey the spirit of the sophisticated spectacle that awaits the shows' audiences - the graphic elegance of his images a timeless homage to the glamour of Parisian night life.
The present project demonstrates Gruau's skill at maximum effect achieved through an apparent economy of means: a single central figure, a limited palette of black, yellow and red, no tonal gradation, minimal detail - yet a high-impact, memorable result and a very clear message.
cf. R. Bargiel and S. Nissen, René Gruau, Paris, 1999, p. 70 for the preliminary ink sketch for this project.
This design for a poster can deservedly claim a privileged place in the story of great poster design for the Paris stage. Conveying his characteristic impression of creative spontaneity, artist René Gruau has conjured forth a striking evocation of the spectacle of the Moulin Rouge, the most emblematic bastion of Parisian musical revue. Reviving a tradition established by Henri de Toulouse Lautrec during the Belle Epoque, Gruau's eye-catching posters for the Moulin Rouge and the Lido deftly convey the spirit of the sophisticated spectacle that awaits the shows' audiences - the graphic elegance of his images a timeless homage to the glamour of Parisian night life.
The present project demonstrates Gruau's skill at maximum effect achieved through an apparent economy of means: a single central figure, a limited palette of black, yellow and red, no tonal gradation, minimal detail - yet a high-impact, memorable result and a very clear message.