René Bouché
About
Rene Bouche was born in France in 1906. His family were Czech emigrants.
A successful painter and portraitist, Bouche made significant contributions to Vogue both before, during and after World War II as a fashion illustrator and observer of fashionable society. He came late to the craft and was already in his mid-30's when he persuaded Vogue to give him a chance. In 1939, his work was used editorially in French and British Vogue, and he also produced one of the prettiest covers of the year, a milliners shop full of summers bows and flowers, ribbons and laces.
At the outbreak of war, he joined the French army, fought through until the fall of France and in early 1941 reached New York. Here his career effectively began and he was established as a regular and expected contributor to American Vogue.
The Look
Initially his work was black and white, firmly and accurately drawn, and frequently spread across a double page of Vogue. He gave powerful and memorable images, especially when allowed the luxury of a sequence of colour plates to indulge his colourful and romantic images. He worked in pen and ink or crayon, skillfully blending the character of the dress with that of the wearer. His drawings of women were elegant, vibrant and often amusing. He was able to vary his style to produce a less defined, more abstract form.