Rene Gruau, born Renato Zavagli Ricciardelli, was born Feb. 4, 1909 in Rimini, Italy. Gruau was the son of an Italian count but instead of following in his father's footsteps and accepting the job of royal military commander his passion and inclination for arts led him to a love and pursuance of fine arts. When Rene's mother, Maria Gruau, a French aristocrat, and his father separated when he was three, he moved to Paris with her. Gruau then took his mother's last name, which is the name he is known by, opposed to his father's last name and royal connection. At 14, Gruau began to support his mother and himself by selling drawings to the Milanese fashion journal Lidel. He demonstrated talent for drawing thhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rene_Gruau...