HUGO D'ALESI (1849-1906) GRIFFON. 1905. 49 1/2 x 33 1/2 inches. Griffon. Paris. Condition B+: discoloration in top corners; loss in upper right margin; minor repaired tears at edges. Hugo d'Alesi is best known for his turn-of-the-century travel posters. They were printed in a process called simili aquarelle, that required up to twenty different colors to render the final image like a watercolor. It was such an expensive procedure that it drove the artist into bankruptcy shortly before his premature death. This poster, with its classic image of an elegant biker taking his new machine on a spin in the hills above the Riviera, was published by "Le Griffon." But judging by the exquisite precision in the rendering of the landscape, it was likely printed by d'Alesi on his own presses. It is a rare and exquisite image.
