Dec 19, 2007 - Sale 2133

Sale 2133 - Lot 135

Price Realized: $ 40,800
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 20,000 - $ 30,000
THÉOPHILE-ALEXANDRE STEINLEN (1859-1923) MOTOCYCLES COMIOT. 1899.
77x52 1/2 inches. Charle Verneau, Paris.
Condition B / B+: restored losses in margins, corners and along vertical and horizontal folds; expert overpainting in and around text at top.
Comiot was a pioneer in bicycle manufacturing who went on to turn his attention to motorcycles and automobiles, and Steinlen designed one of his most elaborate masterpieces for him. Bargiel & Zagrodzki illustrate an oil painting of the same image, which was most likely commissioned by Comiot. The wonderfully detailed image shows a young lady in a bright red shirt riding her motorcycle outside of Paris, oblivious to both the peasants working in the field and the terrified flock of geese who are scrambling to get out of her way. The image is well-balanced, and the colors work in perfect harmony with each other. The size of the poster, coupled with the excellence of the printing, makes it even more spectacular. Bargiel 36, Crauzat 506, DFP-II 792, Maitres 1900 p. 208.