Blue Race Car nr. 3

Roger Melliés started his career as an illustrator in the early 1920’s with aircraft drawings for an American factory located in Paris. He later became an illustrator for Lafayette department store catalogs and for the magazine “L’Auto”. In 1939 Melliés went on to create his first of many aviation comics “Pilotes des Sables”. The gouache by Melliés is comical in nature and we are observers of presumably the start of a race. A lady and gentleman scrutinize the one rather tall and other rather rotund racers (who seem to echo Laurel & Hardy in stature) as they inspect their race automobile with the number 3. The expressions on their faces would seem to suggest that neither drivers can determine what the problem is with the automobile that does not seem to have started the race. The nearing race coordinator with his megaphone and can of oil is obviously on his way to help the drivers if possible. The viewer can only guess whether Nr. 3 will make it to the finish line.