Description
A mesmerizing Art Nouveau masterpiece celebrating the Touring Club Italiano, Italy’s premier cycling and automotive organization. This small-format lithograph showcases Malerba’s genius for blending portraiture with narrative drama. In the foreground, a strikingly beautiful woman with luminous dark eyes commands the composition—her penetrating gaze locks directly with the viewer’s, radiating confidence and allure. She is draped in a sumptuous crimson cape and rose shawl, with a matching rose headband framing her face. Her elegant presence feels almost iconic, almost mythic.
Behind her, the cycling drama unfolds: silhouetted cyclists strain up a hillside, their bodies leaning into the effort. To the left, two men pedal hard against the gradient. To the right, a third cyclist extends aid to a fourth who has fallen from his bicycle—a moment of camaraderie and shared struggle that speaks to the brotherhood of the road. Soft pink cumulus clouds drift above the scene, while a bold crimson border—echoing the woman’s dress—frames the entire composition, creating visual cohesion and emotional intensity.
Gian Emilio Malerba was among Italy’s most accomplished poster artists, masterfully merging fin-de-siècle elegance with modernist compositional innovation. This poster encapsulates the Touring Club Italiano’s brand positioning: not merely a cycling club, but a guardian of adventure, beauty, and the aspirational lifestyle of early 20th-century Italy’s emerging middle class. The woman’s steely gaze suggests both refinement and the adventurous spirit that defined the organization’s members.
Condition & Details
This original Italian lithograph is in good condition, professionally linen-backed on acid-free mounting. The crimson palette remains vivid and commanding, the rose tones warm and inviting. The woman’s face retains remarkable clarity and presence. Minor aging consistent with a 115-year-old piece is present but does not diminish the poster’s visual power or collectibility. A fine example of small-format Italian cycling and lifestyle advertising from the Belle Époque era.
Specifications
- Artist: Gian Emilio Malerba
- Title: Touring Club Italiano
- Year: 1910
- Medium: Original lithograph
- Size: 6.5″ × 9.5″
- Inventory #: 7550
- Condition: Good; professionally linen-backed, acid-free mounting
- Certificate of Authenticity: Included
About Authenticity
We guarantee the authenticity of all posters in our collection. This original Italian lithograph is a period piece from the Touring Club Italiano’s golden era—not a reproduction. Small-format Italian lifestyle and sporting posters from 1910 are increasingly rare as institutional and private collections compete for examples of this caliber and artistic significance. Vintage Poster carries IVPDA (International Vintage Poster Dealers Association) membership and adheres to strict standards of authentication and condition transparency.
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