MOTORCYCLES COMIOT BY STEINLEN

CYCLES COMIOT — Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen
Original stone-lithograph plate issued in 1899 at Imprimerie Chaix (Paris) for Les Maîtres de l’Affiche. This plate (no. 183) features Steinlen’s celebrated design for Cycles Comiot, created at the height of the Belle Époque cycling boom.

The poster highlights the exhilaration of modern speed: a rider charges forward on a Comiot bicycle while geese run for cover the composition filled with humor and energy. Steinlen’s strong diagonals and expressive line work capture both motion and excitement, while appealing to the new culture of cycling that swept through Paris in the 1890s.

Les Maîtres de l’Affiche (1895–1900) was a prestigious subscription series directed by Jules Chéret, presenting small-format original lithographs of the era’s most important posters. Printed at Chaix on fine wove paper and issued with the blindstamp, these plates gave collectors direct access to authentic works by leading poster artists, including Steinlen, Mucha, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Chéret himself.

Title: Cycles Comiot
Artist: Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen (1859–1923)
Date: 1899 (Les Maîtres de l’Affiche, plate no. 183)
Printer: Imprimerie Chaix, Paris
Size: 11.5 × 15.5 inches (approx. 29 × 39 cm)
Print Type: Stone lithograph
Condition: Excellent “A,” near-mint on fine wove paper with blindstamp
Comments: Authentic plate from Les Maîtres de l’Affiche, produced at Chaix under the direction of Jules Chéret. Bright impression with vivid color. A classic Steinlen design celebrating the energy and humor of early French bicycle advertising.