Vintage Poster Archives
Bicyclette Gurtner 1918 | Mich Vintage Cycling Poster
Bicyclette Gurtner 1918 | Mich Vintage Cycling Poster
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Four racing cyclists ride in tight formation, seen from behind against a flat cobalt-blue ground. Each jersey carries one of the four playing-card suits, clubs, hearts, spades, diamonds, in red or black, paired with a matching cap. At the base, bold yellow block lettering announces BICYCLETTE GURTNER; above it, in white, 'Tous les AS sur': all the aces on a Gurtner. The pun is precise, 'as' in French sporting language means both the card and the champion, and the four suits become four race leaders.
Designed by Michel Liebeaux (1881–1923), who signed his commercial work Mich, and produced by Publicite Wall of 50 Rue Lafayette, Paris, around 1918. Liebeaux worked at the intersection of late Belle Epoque illustration and early French modernism, producing advertising posters across cycling, automotive, and consumer categories throughout his career. His flat, characterful treatment of the human figure in motion is evident throughout: these four cyclists are simultaneously individual, each a distinct colour scheme, and interchangeable, the point being the bicycle rather than the rider.
The Gurtner name in this context refers to the bicycle manufacturer rather than the later carburetor firm. The poster was produced during a period when French bicycle brands competed fiercely for association with racing success, commissioning illustrators of Liebeaux's standing to place their machines in the minds of competitive riders and aspirational buyers alike.
Reproduced as an archival print on 200gsm Enhanced Matte Fine Art Paper using pigment-based inks. A natural fit for anyone interested in the history of French road cycling, Belle Epoque graphic design, or the commercial art of the early twentieth century.
