CYCLES EXCELSIOR, 1906

Original Authentic Vintage Antique French Advertising Poster, 1906
Gorgeous Bicycle Transportation Travel Art

Description: Cycles Excelsior, the 1906 French advertising poster promoting the purchase of Excelsior bicycles manufactured by Francis Arnaud in the town of Bourgoin-Jallieu, and featuring art of two men and a dog with a severed tail. Note that the odd artwork and the tagline (which translates to "Intact!! No wonder, it's an Excelsior").   

Size: 41x55".  

Condition: Very Good. Has been professionally linen backed. 

* See enlargeable image above

A debate about what is going on in this early 20th century French Art could go on for hours.   I assume the dog's tail got severed by the Bicycle spokes, but other than that it’s not too obvious to me.  Either way the artwork is Gorgeous!    

Note: I could not find another example of this poster ever being sold at auction, so it appears to be extremely Rare. 

This gem has been professionally linen backed and ready to bring a new exciting ambiance to any room. 

Important Note:  The poster art is signed what appears as “Fargeot”  which would be Ferdinand Fargeot (1880-1957).  However when I asked Chat GPT who was the artist is I got the below response:
“The artist for the 1906 French advertising poster promoting Excelsior bicycles is Géo Dorival. This iconic poster features two men riding bicycles with a dog whose tail has been accidentally severed by the bike's spokes, adding a humorous touch to the scene. Géo Dorival was a prominent French poster artist known for his colorful and engaging designs, often advertising transportation and products of the time.”

Both artist are of the time period this artwork was produced in 1906.   So it’s a toss-up.  If I were to make a best guess based on my research and looking at each artist’s work, I would go with Géo Dorival as it is more consistent with his style and skill.   But either way,  a spectacular 120 year old poster.

Note: CVtreasures not on original