A. Buttieri - Acatène Métropole, C. 1895, Color Lithographic Poster

Details

Description

A. Bittner, Acatène Métropole, c. 1898. Monumental French color lithographic advertising poster promoting the Acatène Métropole chainless bicycle, an innovative … Read more A. Bittner, Acatène Métropole, c. 1898. Monumental French color lithographic advertising poster promoting the Acatène Métropole chainless bicycle, an innovative bicycle employing shaft drive rather than a conventional chain. The dramatic Belle Époque composition depicts a cyclist dressed in vivid red standing with an Acatène Métropole bicycle on an elevated landscape overlooking a coastal city and harbor at sunset. The bicycle’s distinctive drivetrain is prominently displayed, while the bold red, yellow, blue, and black palette and large-scale typography exemplify late 19th-century French poster design. Signed “A. Bittner” within the image at upper right and bearing the “Affiches Kossuth, Paris” printer’s mark at lower left. The reverse bears period handwritten inscriptions and evidence of previous mounting. Color lithograph on paper, approximately 65.5 x 49 inches. Circa 1898. A rare and visually commanding example of early French cycling advertising documenting the emergence of the chainless bicycle at the height of the Belle Époque. See less