Ernest Montaut
Encyclopedia
Ernest Montaut was a French poster artist who died at an early age. He is credited with the invention of various artistic techniques, such as speed line
Speed line
Speed line is the art technique which uses streaks to convey the impression of speed. The French artist Ernest Montaut is usually credited with its invention. He used the technique freely in his posters which were produced at a time when auto racing, speedboat racing and aircraft races were in...

s and distorting perspective by foreshortening to create the impression of speed. These techniques are still in use.

Montaut's printmaking
Printmaking
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on paper. Printmaking normally covers only the process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable...

 career started in the late 19th century. He used a lithographic stone to produce an outline of the image, the Pochoir process
Stencil
A stencil is a thin sheet of material, such as paper, plastic, or metal, with letters or a design cut from it, used to produce the letters or design on an underlying surface by applying pigment through the cut-out holes in the material. The key advantage of a stencil is that it can be reused to...

 , often including the year of publication, the artist's name and that of the printer Mabileau et Cie., Paris. Printed on the image was also a descriptive title advertising cars, tires, carburettors etc., and various sponsoring firms. The outlines were then painted by hand using watercolour paints. The process took a few days for each print and was quite labour-intensive. The different artists resulted in noticeable variations in colour.

Montaut’s images display action, drama and derring-do - tortuous mountain passes covered at breakneck speed by the newly-invented automobile. They document early developments in the history of motorised transport, such as motorboat racing
Motorboat racing
Motorboat racing takes several forms:*Drag boat racing*Hydroplane racing*Jet sprint boat racing*Offshore powerboat racing*F1 Powerboat World Championship...

, motorcycle and motor car racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...

, zeppelins and biplanes. His first motoring prints were created in the mid-1890s, and by 1897, the images had become pictorial records of the many racing events in France. Montaut's work was popular in Paris and was shown in the fashionable outlets on the Rue de l'Opera and Rue de la Paix.

Prints continued to be produced after Montaut’s death in 1909 and it is thought that those signed 'Gamy' were created by Montauts wife, Marguerite - 'Gamy' being an anagram of 'Magy', her nickname. Her works were occasionally signed 'M. Montaut'. Artists known to have collaborated with Montaut include Roowy, Nevil, Campion, Aldelmo, Brie, Dufourt and Jobbe du Val.
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