"A line...is the basis of all art"
From Toulouse Lautrec to René Gruau.
One of the main reasons I selected this topic is my special interest in Art Nouveau in the field of graphic design and illustration as well as my desire to investigate if and in what ways it has influenced contemporary artists, overcoming its narrow boundaries (1880-1910).
My personal interest focused on the famous French painter, lithographer and illustrator Toulouse Lautrec, who was one of the most renowned representatives of Art Nouveau. During my studies in AKTO I became familiar with various modern illustrators and graphic designers. Among them the Italian illustrator René Gruau (1909-2004) caught my attention and gained my admiration. I was intrigued by his work and suspected there were some similarities with the work of Toulouse Lautrec.
For this reason I chose for my case-study these two artists, in order to examine if René Gruau was influenced by Art Nouveau and in particular by Toulouse Lautrec.
My research has not only shown that R. Gruau has indeed been inspired and influenced by T. Lautrec, but that he has also left his own mark as an inspiration for other artists.
(Here are some pages of the book)
Tutor 's Name: G. Mpotsos
ΑΚΤΟ / Middlesex University of London (2013-2014)
