Automobiles Cottereau & Cie

Vincent, a prominent illustrator in his time, was born in Bordeaux but moved at a young age to Paris. He studied at the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts and initially wanted to become an architect. He became enamoured by the automobile and was one of the first people in France to get his driving license. He started making illustrations of automobiles for books and magazines. His illustrations, however, did not focus on speed (the norm at the time) but on daily life with an automobile. He also had a keen eye for feminine beauty. After moving to America he started working for “Harper’s Bazaar”, “The Saturday Evening Post”, Bugatti, Peugeot, Georges Irat, Voisin and Minerva to name but a few.Vincent portrays a well to do lady proudly holding up her prize, a Cottereau automobile. The introduction of the automobile brought women a new found freedom and independence. Ateliers et Usines Cottereau et Cie, Dijon, France (in operation from 1898 to 1910) known for its sturdy, all-purpose bicycles and early automobiles clearly taps into this. Posters Belleville, Grande Imprimerie de Montrouge, Paris