Ernest Montaut, The Zodiac III.

Ernest MONTAUT Montauban 1878 † Doves 1909 The Zodiac III. 1910. Original lithograph enhanced with gouache. Nice proof on vellum. H396xW853mm. Slightly insolated paper and more manipulations in the margins and corners. Proof printed at Mabileau&co in Paris. Ernest Montaut was an innovative French poster artist whose all-too-short career captured the exciting new world of motorized transport, whether in the air, on water or especially at high speeds on the ground. Ernest Montaut can be considered the father of “automotive speed” and Mecanic Art. He invented many artistic techniques such as high-speed lines and the deliberate distortion of perspective by bending. It shortens the image to create the illusion of movement and speed. Many of these techniques are still used today by contemporary artists. The Spiess is a French rigid-hulled airship, built in the early 20th century, named after its designer, Joseph Spiess. The patent was filed in 1873, a year before that of Ferdinand von Zeppelin. It was the one and only French rigid airship of its century.