Peter Helck (1893 - 1988) - Seaman's Winning Delage, Isle of Man - Original Pencil Illustration AP1818
Richard Seaman and his Delage earning a win at the Isle of Man, 1936.
On three successive weekends, the Seaman Delage came first in Pescara, Italy; Berne, Switzerland; and Donington Park, England. So impressed was Mercedes-Benz team manager Alfred Neubauer that he offered Seaman a factory drive in 1937. (Attitudes were already forming, and Seaman’s mother objected to his driving for a “Nazi team.”)
We've appended an actual photo of the event for fun.
Measures 8" x 9" in a 12" x 12" frame. Outstanding work by an artist committed to his subject. Sold at auction at Christie's 40 years ago.
An illustrator and painter of industrial genre, Peter Helck depicted mining scenes, foundries, and dramatic moments in historic automobile races. He was especially known for his love of automobiles, an interest that began when he was a child and saw racing competition. Eventually he became friends with many of the drivers and developed familiarity with their cars. As an illustrator, his technique was to produce highly detailed sketches before the finished painting.
Helck studied at the Art Students League of New York and studied privately with Frank Brangwyn in England. He has illustrated for most well-known national magazines and had commissions from prominent automotive companies including Chevrolet and Mack Trucks.
From 1920 to 1940, he painted abroad extensively and subsequently had numerous exhibits of his fine art in the East and Midwest. But he was most successful as an illustrator, and many of his fans are collectors of rare cars and automotive art.
