Cycles Gladiator. ca. 1895.

ARTIST: ANONYMOUS SIZE: 52 5/8 x 38 1/8 in./133.7 x 97.2 cm PRINTER: Imp. G. Massias, Paris DESCRIPTION: A lithographic masterpiece. Acclaimed as one of the world's greatest posters, this image of a flame-tressed sylph, propelled among the stars by the Gladiator and its winged pedals, has been appropriated throughout culture ever since its debut in 1895. Shockingly, it remains anonymous, despite the presence of the faint initials LW in the lower right corner. Even in the famed 1896 Reims exhibition, it was attributed to "Anonyme." (Art Nouveau; Bicycles)