Cycling/L'Arrivée/ Sprint/UVF. This masterful lithograph by - Lot 105

Cycling/L'Arrivée/ Sprint/UVF. This masterful lithograph by Thor tells the story of the advent of road racing, which for a long time had its detractors, fans of closed velodromes, small-scale, meticulous adventures and shenanigans. With "GRIFFON, 40 rue Louis Blanc, Courbevoie,... cycles, motos, tricars..." the cycle opens up to the world. We're in the open air, everyone's breathing, and Griffon's red champion (flat handlebars, armband 1) looks over his shoulder at his scattered followers... The grandstand with the orchestra, the undergrowth, and the finish are rendered so well, you want to be there, and you even are...The timekeeper with his legs bent, UVVF armband, English sportsman's outfit, juggles his needles, the luscious blue spectator carried away by fever bites on the rope, fortunately, the eccentric village warden watches over her with a poacher's eye...A pure masterpiece, as joyful as it is natural, by the great Walter Thor (1880-1929). TBE, 115x76.