Automobiles Georges Richard. 1905.

Artist: HENRI BELLERY-DESFONTAINES (1867-1909)
Size: 57 1/8 x 33 3/8 in./145 x 85 cm
Condition: A-/ Unobtrusive folds.
Printer: Imp. Eugène Verneau, Paris
Reference: Ref: Auto Show III, 26; PAI-XLVI, 191
Key Words: Art Nouveau; Automobiles

Automobiles Georges Richard. 1905.
A racing spirit forms a figurehead for the speeding automobile as it kicks dust into the starry midnight sky. Simultaneously poetic and dramatic, it’s one of the most spectacular automotive posters ever created. Several versions of the image are known; this particular version of the design comes complete with the announcement that the firm’s car had won the prestigious Gordon Bennett race in 1904 and “1905” replaces the typically seen checkerboard flag in the upper left. Bellery-Desfontaines had a short but successful career as a painter, decorator, and designer of furniture, books, and typefaces. Two of his color lithographs were included in the prestigious L’Estampe Moderne (1897 and 1898).