Formula 1 Grand Prix Reims 1956

Michel Beligond was a French postwar and contemporary artist. Only ten paintings have been attributed to his name and he was a designer for Renault. One of his great hobbies was visiting car races in France. He created many drawings and sketches initially for his own collection but later on for the covers of race day program booklets and posters. He died at the early age of 45. This painting depicts the Formula 1 Grand Prix race in Reims, France on the 1st of July 1956. More than six cars are jockeying for a winning position as they race past the tribune. The pit crews can almost touch the cars. The need for speed and the urgency of the race is atmospherically depicted by Beligond.