Original poster 24 Heures du Mans

The author of the original poster for the 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans race is the legendary French painter, illustrator and draughtsman Géo Ham (born Georges Hamel), who is still regarded as the greatest artist of his time specializing in automobilism and aviation. His works captured the dramatic atmosphere of motor racing with unparalleled vividness and dynamism. Ham had an extraordinary closeness to car racing – in 1934 he himself took part as a driver in this prestigious race, which enabled him to depict the racing environment with complete authenticity. The 1952 poster, showing the legendary cars of the era lining up on the starting grid in front of packed grandstands, ranks among the icons of motoring graphic art and continues to captivate not only collectors of automotive history but also admirers of modern design. The work comes from the collection of Thomas Marten, who owns one of the largest holdings of such graphic artefacts in Europe, accompanied by his expert certificate.

*Signed in the print lower right.