Vintage Poster Archives
Jean Louvet Bicyclette c.1920 | Mich Cycling Poster
Jean Louvet Bicyclette c.1920 | Mich Cycling Poster
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A jockey in white racing silks leans hard over the handlebars of a gold-and-black bicycle, a galloping horse rendered as a flat orange silhouette filling the blood-red ground behind him. The slogan at the base settles the matter: 'Le Pur Sang des Velos', the thoroughbred of bicycles.
Designed by Michel Liebeaux, who signed his work 'Mich', this vintage advertising poster was produced in France for Jean Louvet & Cie, a Paris bicycle manufacturer, around 1920. Liebeaux (1881–1923) was the essential poster artist for French cycling and automobile brands in the early twentieth century, known for a caricature-inflected style that combined wit with bold, flat-colour composition. He illustrated for the sports daily L'Auto and exhibited at the Salon des Humoristes. Printed by the Wall printing house in Paris, this is one of two known Mich designs for the Jean Louvet brand. The cartouche at top right reads 'SYREPTINE / MARQUE DEPOSILEE' alongside a rearing horse device, reinforcing the equestrian conceit running through the entire composition.
Reproduced as an archival print on 200gsm Enhanced Matte Fine Art Paper, giclée process, pigment-based inks. The saturated red ground and bold silhouette work are well-suited to the smooth matte surface.
Draws a clear audience among collectors of French commercial art from the early twentieth century, cycling enthusiasts with an eye for design history, and those who appreciate the wit of the Belle Epoque poster tradition.
