Femme Fatale Rene Gruau

i knew that i wanted to focus my idea on the femme fatale aspect evident within the novel and i really liked the two female characters that fell strongly within this genre: Vivian and Carmen. because of this i plan to focus on a scene within the book which defines these dangerous, seductive and enticing qualities. before i can begin drawing however i wanted to look up some other representations of what could be considered a femme fatal. Rene Gruau's elegant painted ladies fall directly into this category.

In the painting above it is the portrayal of elegance which most interests me, there is a lot of emphasis placed on line which directs the eye down the frame to the rough edges of the skirt as it fades aways. its strangely fragile which is particularly reminiscent of Carmen's fragile mental state (which is in actuality the cause of all the trouble within the novel). the use of the bold black outline elucidates the soft curves of the figure and makes the character look more dramatic. in my own design i want to incorporate this elegance but i want to also make sure that the gritty genre of the 1930s detective novel is also portrayed which may be achieved through the use of silhouettes or a similar thick outline.


http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG8079901/Rene-Gruau-a-new-look-at-the-influential-Dior-illustrator.html

This painting reminds me a lot of Vivian's character and the scene when she is playing roulette: 

"she wore a low cut dress of dull green velvet [...] the crowd closed and hid all but her head [...] i looked at Vivian's face it was taunt, pale, beautiful and wild. her lips were red and harsh".

i think that out of all of the female characters Vivian is by far the most elegant ( possibly because she has the ruthlessness associated with the Sternwoods). i love the lines apparent in the painting above, the smooth curve of the dress  once again draws the eye downwards, the manipulation of the red and black colour scheme generates contrast. red as a colour has connotations of seduction and blood which of course directly embodies the themes within the Big Sleep. the softer smoother textures in the painting simultaneously adds depth and helps to soften the rigid lines of the doorway, an aspect that i shall definitely take into consideration when creating my own design.

http://archdezart.com/2011/12/10/fashion-illustrations-rene-gruau/

This is the Rene Gruau piece that i think most embodies the femme fatal aspect, the red lipstick, the earring, the cigarette and even the shape of the hat as it cuts across the face are all qualities that embody the femme fatal character:

"her black hair was glossy under the robin hood hat"
"she puffed silently with her cigarette and considered me with steady black eyes"
"she was wearing a pair of long jade earrings and nothing else"
"her lips were red and harsh"

i love the how a silhouette has been manipulated to create the face, the white on black instigates drama, the incorporation of the red lips references the film noir genre, whilst the smoke tendril and the matching earring introduce a sense of balance within the print. its very simple but this simplicity retains the elegance of the previous pieces already researched.

http://www.renegruau.com/wp-content/gallery/kiss/cigarette.gif

this is one of my favourites mostly because i really liked the movement of the hair and the rough textural edges, the tendrils remind me a lot of Carmens wild "tawny" hair which is one of her defining characteristics  repeated throughout the book". the peach terracotta colour of the background introduces a warmth which would not have been created if Gruau had used his normal white black red combination.
the flower was another aspect of this piece that drew my attention, in terms of the big sleep i could use a similar face and replace the random flower with an orchid ( another consistent theme). there is a softness to this simple portrait an aspect that i should play around with when designing.



http://www.wornthrough.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Diorling-René-Gruau-1963-Private-Collection-©-SARL-René-Gruau