Tri-Wheeler Escape
Name/Title
Tri-Wheeler EscapeEntry/Object ID
2026.1.9Description
The print shows a lively Belle Époque street scene centered on an early motorized tricycle, with a rider steering in the foreground while another person perched behind turns to look back, and a bicyclist, mounted riders, pedestrians, and a startled goose animate the road around them; the setting appears rural or village-like, with plaster buildings, grasses blowing across the path, and a sense of speed contrasted against older modes of travel. The most prominent text on a blue wall sign reads “Automobiles De Dion-Bouton, Puteaux,” identifying the French manufacturer De Dion-Bouton and its base in Puteaux, near Paris; the artist’s name “Wilhio” appears at the lower left. Other background lettering is indistinct but suggests shop or notice signage typical of a French town. The subject matter, advertising style, clothing, and especially the three-wheeled motor vehicle point to the very early automotive era, making a likely creation date around the turn of the 20th century, approximately 1899 to 1902, when De Dion-Bouton was a leading maker of motor tricycles and such illustrated promotional posters were common.Collection
Dr. Frederick A. Simeone Founder Collection, Simeone - ArtCategory
Automobilia