Bicycles are not only vehicles and sports equipment, they’re sometimes viewed as pieces of art. Many frame builders make bicycles so elegant that they can be hung on dining room walls. Like a painting, poetry, or music, their bicycles tell a unique story that will only grow richer with time or with each kilometer ridden. In contrast, most artists struggle to draw or paint a bicycle on a canvas or a piece of paper. But there are a few artists who have managed to properly convey the bicycle’s beauty and appeal in their work.
Over 40 years ago, Daniel Rebour drew bicycles and components in a style that captured qualities matched by photographs. Printed in manufacturers’ catalogues and magazines, particularly Le Cycle, his work gave the objects a unique allure. As a boy, I would pore over the Rebour drawings in my father’s collection of magazines and books, memorizing the details of Eddy Merckx’s bikes. (Continue reading)
