Sunday, August 11, 2013

Why Collect Vintage Car Posters & Prints?

Niki Lauda What makes vintage car prints, paintings and other car artwork extraordinary? Any collector of these has his or her own reasons why he or she instigated their collection, and there are as many explanations for collecting as there are topics illustrated. There are, nevertheless, some overall characteristics of vintage car prints and artwork which make them particularly wonderful for collecting. First of all, vintage car prints cover a vast variety of themes, from make of the car to designer of the print, such as Louis Vuitton Classic’s by Razzia and Alain Levesque Paintings’, posters and prints. These prints come in a vast selection of artistic styles, sizes, and cost. There is, then, a type of vintage print that should charm and be available for almost anyone. Louis Vuitton Classic’s Prints by Razzia can be found at l’art et l’automobile and on EBay, and Alain Levesque Paintings’, posters and prints can be found at l’art et l’automobile for sale. However, the most distinctive characteristic of Vintage car prints is their character and content. Vintage car prints provide us with an unswerving link back in time. As most historical car prints depict subjects concurrent with their publication, they depict these topics not as contemporary historians portray them, but from the vantage point of modern onlookers. A glorifying image of the first Model T, a magnificent example of a Rolls Royce, a roaring depicted Ford Lotus, all express the attitudes and understanding of the printmakers and buyers of their day, giving us a privileged look at the automobile world through the eyes of the past. While providing modern viewers with a window to the past, antique car prints were also an integral part of their own time. Car Prints, with their numerous copies, usually had considerably more influence in their day than did concurrent drawings and paintings, all of which are exclusive pictures. Only a restricted number of spectators could see a particular painting or drawing, whereas most historical car prints were distributed broadly to the general public. Indeed, broad distribution was often the intent of these prints. Like books, they would have had noteworthy influence on their time. Some examples of this influence are clear –advertising a new car model or opening a new dealership, but all historical car prints were significant in the overall social, political, and intellectual fabric of their time.