Author Topic: Josep Renau (Read 7173 times)

DekeThornton · « **on:** December 03, 2015, 12:52:38 AM »

Josep Renau Berenguer (1907 - 1982)

His brother Juanino and his son Ruy also designed movie posters. Unfortunately as a "serious artist" the Spanish wikipedia entry on Josep Renau doesn't mention his movie posters at all.

brude · « **Reply #1 on:** December 03, 2015, 01:28:24 AM »

Gorgeous.
You have fine taste in art, sir.

erik1925 · « **Reply #2 on:** December 03, 2015, 03:38:23 AM »

Ahi Viene Martin Corona (1952) (released in the US as Little Love of My Life)

DekeThornton · « **Reply #3 on:** December 08, 2015, 04:12:38 AM »

Quote from: brude on December 03, 2015, 01:28:24 AM

Gorgeous.
You have fine taste in art, sir.

Thanks! There will be more photos to come.

Quote from: erik1925 on December 03, 2015, 03:38:23 AM

Ahi Viene Martin Corona (1952) (released in the US as Little Love of My Life)

I saw Bruce has that poster listed as being by Renau, but I am skeptical. I think perhaps it was confused with the similarly titled "La Vuelta de Martin Corona", which is definitely by Renau (signature in upper right).

See Benito's listing: http://www.benitomovieposter.com/catalog/vuelta-de-martin-corona-la-p-11679.html

Most of Renau's posters from this era are signed (though not all, mind you). And IMO "Ahi Viene" doesn't quite fit the typical Renau style. It is a cool poster though!

DekeThornton · « **Reply #4 on:** December 08, 2015, 04:23:26 AM »

A couple more:

erik1925 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 08, 2015, 04:27:52 AM »

Quote from: DekeThornton on December 08, 2015, 04:12:38 AM

Thanks! There will be more photos to come.

I saw Bruce has that poster listed as being by Renau, but I am skeptical. I think perhaps it was confused with the similarly titled "La Vuelta de Martin Corona", which is definitely by Renau (signature in upper right).

See Benito's listing: http://www.benitomovieposter.com/catalog/vuelta-de-martin-corona-la-p-11679.html

Most of Renau's posters from this era are signed (though not all, mind you). And IMO "Ahi Viene" doesn't quite fit the typical Renau style. It is a cool poster though!

Before I posted that poster and attributed it to Renau, I was in touch with a poster artist expert down in Mexico who has been doing research on a large number of the Mexican film poster artists for a good number of years. I wanted to be sure, before I made that attribution.

He was the one who said that, based on his research, the poster for Ahi Viene Martin Corina was also done by Renau.

I can certainly ask him again, but I have no reason to doubt someone who has been devoting his time/work to Mexican cinema and those poster artists. He also told me that Renau did a good number of the film (posters) directed and produced by Miguel Zacarias.

If not by Renau, who do you think the Ahi Viene poster was done by?

DekeThornton · « **Reply #6 on:** December 08, 2015, 04:43:46 AM »

Quote from: erik1925 on December 08, 2015, 04:27:52 AM

Before I posted that poster and attributed it to Renau, I was in touch with a poster artist expert down in Mexico who has been doing research on a large number of the Mexican film poster artists for a good number of years. I wanted to be sure, before I made that attribution.

He was the one who said that, based on his research, the poster for Ahi Viene Martin Corina was also done by Renau.

I can certainly ask him again, but I have no reason to doubt someone who has been devoting his time/work to Mexican cinema and those poster artists. He also told me that Renau did a good number of the film (posters) directed and produced by Miguel Zacarias.

If not by Renau, who do you think the Ahi Viene poster was done by?

It certainly could be by Renau! I don't have another artist to suggest. It comes with the territory that many cool Mexican posters cannot be conclusively attributed to specific artists. I have a few titles that at least seem to be inspired by Renau's style but I can't find any documentation one way or the other.

Heck, even signatures can't always be trusted on Mexican posters! The son of Ernesto Garcia Cabral claimed he had vivid memories of his father collaborating with another artist on one particular poster. And indeed, the caricatures do seem to be in the typical Cabral style. But only the other artist's (Vargas) signature is on the poster.

erik1925 · « **Reply #7 on:** December 08, 2015, 12:09:06 PM »

Thanks Deke.

The guy I have communicated with, has been compiling and gathering artists, trying to identify unknown pieces/artists and also mentioned how a number of unknowns "mimicked" / copied and in some cases trained under the well known poster artists and developed a similar style. He also said that Renau did not sign all of his poster works.

Like anything, its all part of what makes the hobby so fun, dont you think? Doing the digging and research, finding out new info and that kind of thing.

There was one signature that this gentleman wasnt familiar with (it was a couple stylized, abbreviated letters). In looking thru the EMP database, I found one Mexican poster where the capital initials of the artist's first and last name were written with the same 'flourish' but it was the whole name. I sent the pics and name down to this guy, and sure enough, he agreed that it was the same artist (it wasnt Renau). So he was able to check that "unknown" off of his list.

erik1925 · « **Reply #8 on:** December 08, 2015, 02:52:26 PM »

Hey Deke,

I emailed my contact this morning. He just emailed me back and re-confirmed that the AHI VIENE poster was also done by Renau. This fellow's research partner wrote Renau's biography and had access to all family materials, diaries, work sketches and interviews with current family members, so Im confident that it was also done by he.

DekeThornton · « **Reply #9 on:** December 08, 2015, 04:29:26 PM »

Quote from: erik1925 on December 08, 2015, 02:52:26 PM

Hey Deke,

I emailed my contact this morning. He just emailed me back and re-confirmed that the AHI VIENE poster was also done by Renau. This fellow's research partner wrote Renau's biography and had access to all family materials, diaries, work sketches and interviews with current family members, so Im confident that it was also done by he.

Awesome, Jeff! Thanks for checking. I would love the details on that biography if you have them. Most books I've seen that mention Renau focus on his "serious art" and political/propaganda pieces, with nary a mention of movie posters. Though I did recently order a rare-ish book from Spain about Renau posters (published in 1984). I have no idea how comprehensive this book is and am not really sure what to expect, but I will definitely share some info here when it arrives.

Also, does your contact collect posters himself? Or only studies them for academic/historical interest?

erik1925 · « **Reply #10 on:** December 08, 2015, 04:34:18 PM »

I will get the name of the book, Deke. I was also told that both MARTIN CORONA posters are in the volume.

And yes.. the associate who researched & wrote the book is also a poster collector, I'm told.

DekeThornton · « **Reply #11 on:** February 28, 2016, 03:21:44 PM »

Here are some photos from that Spanish book I mentioned back in December. This copy is actually in the Valencian language, though it was also published in Castellano/Español.

The book reproduces around 100 Renau movie posters. Unfortunately, most of the images are small and black-and-white. Still, there are some color images as well. Overall, it's a nice resource if you are a fan of Renau.

erik1925 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 28, 2016, 03:27:08 PM »

Great looking book, there, Deke.

Can I ask who the author is? Or is that the name, in white, at the top of the cover?

DekeThornton · « **Reply #13 on:** February 28, 2016, 03:36:39 PM »

Quote from: erik1925 on February 28, 2016, 03:27:08 PM

Great looking book, there, Deke.

Can I ask who the author is? Or is that the name, in white, at the top of the cover?

As far as I can tell, the book doesn't credit an overall individual author or editor. Rather, as you guessed, Fundació Caixa de Pensions is the institutional author.

However, each section in the book has a specific author (for example Jose Vicente Selma in one of the photos above).

erik1925 · « **Reply #14 on:** February 28, 2016, 03:40:09 PM »

Thanks!

Mirosae · « **Reply #15 on:** February 28, 2016, 04:11:34 PM »

Fantastic book. The language is catalan, very similar to valenciano. It looks like a commissioning work by the Catalan / Spanish bank known as La Caixa, one of the oldest Banks in Spain. If you have an interest to know who contributed the check the first or last page to see if there is a name under "coordinador general. Usually you will find it there.

Best

R

DekeThornton · « **Reply #16 on:** February 28, 2016, 06:52:42 PM »

Quote from: Mirosae on February 28, 2016, 04:11:34 PM

Fantastic book. The language is catalan, very similar to valenciano. It looks like a commissioning work by the Catalan / Spanish bank known as La Caixa, one of the oldest Banks in Spain. If you have an interest to know who contributed the check the first or last page to see if there is a name under "coordinador general. Usually you will find it there.

Best

R

Thanks for the info, Rosa! It's pretty cool that a bank funded a movie poster book.

Too bad JPMorgan Chase or Bank of America never published any books on poster artists.

DekeThornton · « **Reply #17 on:** February 28, 2016, 07:06:06 PM »

News:

Author Topic: Josep Renau (Read 7173 times)

Mirosae