Where Crosbys caricatures, such as A Short Head, revolve around humor and human expression, this painting is an ode to the sheer power and romance of the machine.

The car is coming straight at you. Crosby, with his background as a technical draftsman at Daimler, paints the imposing radiator and the engine block details with an almost mechanical precision.

A test drive

The title "On Test" suggests that the car is being pushed to the limit during an early test drive. The sunrise light reinforces the feeling of a "new day" and the boundless possibilities of technology.

More about Crosby

Gordon Crosby was the regular illustrator for The Autocar, one of the worlds oldest and most influential car magazines, based in London. For decades, his work was the public face of the British automotive world. He not only captured the races at Brooklands (the famous circuit in Surrey), but also the tests of iconic British brands.