Framed French Lithograph Poster. Large vintage advertisement for the bicycle company in Montmartre. Inscribed "Imp. G. Massias. 17 Passage Daudin Paris." 

Overall: 39 1/4 X 55 1/2 in. 

Sight: 35 1/4 X 51 1/2 in. 

#2749 . 

The Gladiator Cycle Company opened in 1891 in Montmartre, the cultural hub of Paris at the time. At first a manufacturer of bicycles, it was renamed Clément-Gladiator in 1896 and began to manufacture motorcycles and later cars as well, moving to new facilities in Le Pré-Saint-Gervais, a commune in Seine-Saint-Denis. They gained early recognition for their Art Nouveau posters, and in 1909 Gladiator was bought by Vinot et Deguingand, who transferred production to their factory at Puteaux. The Gladiator name was dropped from their cars in 1920, effectively ending the company. Ironically, their legacy in art outlasted their vehicles, as the numerous artists who produced their posters, including Alfred Choubrac (1853-1902) and Jules Chéret (1836-1932), were critical innovators in the field and used the work to build their experience and experiment with the form. The Choubrac brothers in particular were responsible for popularizing chromolithography and spreading the Bell Époque poster style, first working with the printing press run by George Massias at 17 passage Daudin. Their success and the work done for Gladiator catapulted them to fame, with countless commissions for the Théâtre des Variétés, Théâtre du Châtelet, Folies Bergère, Opéra Comique, and the Moulin Rouge, to name just a few. Along with Toulouse-Lautrec, Choubrac and Chéret were among the most important poster artists of the time.