Eleanor Grosch – Bikes – Passo Gavia – Signed Digital Print – Cycling Art

Description

An original signed digital print by the American illustrator and artist Eleanor Grosch, inspired by the celebrated Passo Gavia in the Italian Alps and the mountain’s close association with professional road cycling.

A group of cyclists climbs through a dramatically simplified Alpine landscape, with one rider in a vivid pink jersey breaking away above the main group. Grosch constructs the mountain from broad overlapping planes of blue, grey, green and earth tones, while sharply reduced triangular forms suggest the steep slopes and snow-covered peaks beyond. Pine branches and large crystalline snowflakes descend into the upper section of the composition, reinforcing the sense of altitude and the notoriously severe conditions associated with the Gavia.

In the foreground, three riders are compressed into a tightly grouped formation, their bicycles and bodies reduced to an economical arrangement of dark circular wheels, angular frames and blocks of muted colour. Above them, the solitary pink-clad cyclist provides the principal focal point, the brighter colour isolating the rider against the deep blue of the mountain.

The roadside marker in the lower right, inscribed “33 PASSO GAVIA Km. 7”, anchors the image firmly within the landscape and introduces a particularly effective piece of cycling iconography. Rather than attempting a literal topographical view, Grosch evokes the experience and mythology of riding one of Italy’s most celebrated high mountain passes.

The Passo Gavia has a particularly strong place in the history of the Giro d’Italia. Its altitude, steep gradients, exposed roads and rapidly changing Alpine weather have made appearances of the climb amongst the most memorable episodes in professional cycling. Grosch’s inclusion of the pink jersey – the maglia rosa worn by the leader of the Giro – makes the connection with Italian stage racing especially clear.

The work is characteristic of Grosch’s distinctive graphic language, in which cyclists, bicycles and landscape are translated into clean silhouettes, geometric forms and carefully controlled colour. The simplified figures and flattened mountain landscape show her strong affinity with twentieth-century poster and mid-century graphic design, while textured areas soften the digital construction and give the image a convincing print-like surface.

An especially appealing example of Grosch’s cycling work, combining her sophisticated graphic style with one of the most evocative landscapes in European professional cycling.

Cycling has genuine personal significance within Grosch’s work. Originally from Florida, she studied Fine Art at the University of South Florida before relocating to Philadelphia in 2005. In an early interview, Grosch specifically discussed her enjoyment of travelling around Philadelphia by bicycle, describing the city’s scale as particularly suited to cycling.

Grosch has subsequently established a successful career in American illustration and graphic design. Her work is particularly associated with simplified forms, strong shapes, pattern and carefully controlled colour, creating a distinctive contemporary interpretation of mid-century graphic design. Her clients have included Giro, Keds, Urban Outfitters, Starbucks and San Diego Zoo, and she was selected as one of Print magazine’s New Visual Artists in 2008.

Condition: Fine condition. The printed surface is clean and well preserved, with strong, unfaded colour. Signed and blindstamped.

Artist: Eleanor Grosch

Title: Passo Gavia

Date: Contemporary

Medium: Digital print on paper

Size: 45.8 × 30.4 cm

Blindstamp: With Eleanor Grosch’s blindstamp.

Authenticity: Personally curated by Daniel Hornsey for Hornseys. Every artwork is handled, inspected and authenticated in-house at our Ripon gallery. We wholly own all the artworks offered for sale.

SHOP WITH CONFIDENCE AT HORNSEYS

At Hornseys, we are committed to offering art prints and related works by American illustrator and designer Eleanor Grosch that meet high standards of authenticity, condition and visual quality. Our collection has been carefully selected to represent Grosch’s distinctive contribution to contemporary American illustration and graphic design, including her particularly appealing interpretations of cycling, architecture, travel, animals and narrative subjects.

Every item is individually examined, researched and catalogued before being offered for sale.

What Sets Us Apart

Authenticity and Provenance:
Each Eleanor Grosch print or related work is carefully assessed and accurately identified. Titles, signatures, edition details, inscriptions, printing information and provenance are recorded wherever available, helping collectors to buy with confidence. We take particular care to describe the printing process correctly and to distinguish digital prints from traditional screenprints, limited editions and other forms of original printmaking.

Expert Curation:
We wholly own every artwork that we offer. We trust our judgement, invest directly in the material we select and only offer works in which we have confidence. Our Eleanor Grosch collection has been individually selected for the quality of the imagery, condition and its representation of the artist’s distinctive graphic style.

Detailed Cataloguing:
Each item is described individually, with information provided on title or subject, medium, dimensions, signature, edition, date, condition and provenance wherever known. We research the context of individual designs where appropriate, particularly Grosch’s cycling imagery, architectural subjects and works inspired by places, professional road racing and contemporary urban life.

Customer Satisfaction:
We strive to provide an exceptional purchasing experience, combining knowledgeable descriptions, clear condition reports, secure packing and prompt delivery. Further information or additional photographs can be supplied where required.

Unconditional Returns Guarantee:
Every item is offered with our unconditional guarantee. Should you wish to return a work for any reason, it may be sent back within fourteen days of receipt. We ask that you notify us in advance and that the item is returned in the same condition in which it was received. A full refund will then be issued.

OUR COMMITMENT TO QUALITY AND SERVICE

We understand the individuality, decorative quality and collectable appeal of Eleanor Grosch’s work. Every aspect of your purchase is therefore handled with care, from research, cataloguing and condition assessment to packing and delivery.

Free Expedited, Tracked and Insured UK Delivery:
All Eleanor Grosch prints and artworks are securely packed and sent using an appropriate tracked and insured service, ensuring that they arrive safely and promptly.

Fully Insured Worldwide Delivery:
International collectors can purchase with confidence through our reliable, tracked and fully insured worldwide shipping service.

EXPLORE OUR ELEANOR GROSCH COLLECTION

Explore our evolving collection of Eleanor Grosch art prints and illustrations. Grosch’s distinctive visual language combines simplified geometric forms, carefully controlled colour, pattern and an economy of line with a strong affinity for mid-century Modernist illustration and poster design.

Cycling forms a particularly engaging strand of her work, ranging from images celebrating everyday bicycle culture to designs inspired by professional road racing and famous European cycling landscapes. Other works explore architecture, city life, animals, travel and narrative subjects, all interpreted through Grosch’s immediately recognisable graphic style.

Whether you are an established collector, an enthusiast of cycling art, an admirer of contemporary American illustration and graphic design, or searching for an unusual and memorable gift, our collection offers the opportunity to acquire carefully selected examples of Eleanor Grosch’s work.

Established in 1976 and based in Ripon, North Yorkshire, Hornseys is an independent gallery and bookseller specialising in original art, prints, design, collectable books and historic material. Every item is handled, inspected and catalogued in-house at our Ripon gallery.