Cycles Aluminium, G. Rupalley - after Maurice Deville

Christophe Adrien (Count) Regley de Koenigsegg

An advertisement for Cycles Aluminum by G. Rupalley, the first company to manufacture aluminum bicycle frames in France. Demonstrating the lightweight nature of the frame, a petite woman picks up the bicycle with one hand; the salesman beams while a lady in the background throws up her hands in delight. The women wear calf-length split skirts meant for cycling at a time when such outfits were considered risqué.

This miniature watercolor is a copy of the poster by painter and printmaker Maurice Deville (French: 1860 - ca. 1939). THe Belle Epoque-era illustrator also created posters for the Humber bicycle manufacturer. Koenigsegg scales the 49" x 38" down to a fraction of the size while retaining the details, including facial expressions and the miniscule details of their clothes.

Count Christophe Adrien Regley de Koenigsegg was born in Paris on April 12, 1823 to Nicolas and Civilus Victoire Tondu Lebrun Regley. He began a military career in the French navy in 1839 and retired as a Brigadier General in 1871. In December of 1855 he married Laure Fanny de Koenigsegg, daughter of Count Louis Koenigsegg and Countess Francoise de Sponeck and added their surname to his.

Koenigsegg had done drawing and some printmaking in the early 1850's but, after his retirement in 1885, began this series of miniature paintings in ink and watercolor. They are miniaturized versions of late 19th century French posters. Many are by identifiable poster artists of the time (Cheret, Lautrec, Rhead, etc.) but many others were posters, done as advertising for regional products; travel agencies, spas, bicycle manufacturers, beverages, etc. and, in many cases, may be the only documentation of these designs.

The watercolors, which are not signed, are meticulously detailed, often requiring a single hair brush. They are painted on a fine wove paper and tipped on to a coarse, somewhat acidic support paper on which he has often written the name of the original poster artist (i.e.: d'Apres G. Rupalley) in ink. The original group constituted over 400 images, bound into a number of linen notebooks, which had not been exposed to light and have retained their vibrant colors.