Eleanor Grosch – History of Cycling 3 – Giro d’Italia – 31 Maggio 1956 – Fiorenzo Magni – Signed Digital Print

Description

An original signed digital print by the American illustrator and artist Eleanor Grosch from her History of Cycling series, commemorating one of the most remarkable episodes in the history of the Giro d’Italia: Fiorenzo Magni continuing the 1956 race with a fractured collarbone, using a length of inner tube held between his teeth to help control and pull against the handlebars.

Grosch depicts Magni riding directly towards the viewer, his upper body bent heavily over the bicycle and his expression conveying the effort of continuing despite injury. The most striking element is the pale strip extending from his mouth towards the handlebars, a direct reference to the improvised device that has become inseparable from the story of Magni’s 1956 Giro.

During the race Magni crashed on the descent from Volterra and fractured his collarbone. Medical advice was that he should stop, but Magni refused to abandon the Giro. With the injured shoulder restricting his ability to pull on the handlebars, his mechanic Faliero Masi devised an extraordinary solution: a section of inner tube was tied to the bars and Magni held the other end between his teeth. By pulling against the tube with his jaw, he was able to reduce the load on the damaged shoulder and continue racing.

The technique became one of the defining images of post-war professional cycling. It was not simply theatrical bravado: the damaged collarbone meant Magni could not use his arm normally when climbing or pulling against the handlebars, so the inner tube provided an additional point of leverage. Contemporary and later accounts consistently describe him gripping the rubber between his teeth while it remained attached to the bars.

Magni’s ordeal became still more extraordinary. After continuing with the fractured collarbone, he crashed again and also fractured his humerus. Despite the additional injury he returned to the race and went on to complete the Giro, eventually finishing second overall behind Charly Gaul. His performance has since become one of the most frequently cited examples of endurance in professional cycling.

The chainring-like emblem in the lower left is inscribed “31 Maggio 1956”, anchoring the work within that Giro and giving the image the quality of a visual historical marker rather than a generic cycling portrait.

Grosch’s composition distils the episode into a small number of instantly legible forms. Magni’s turquoise jersey, black shorts, pale bicycle and the conspicuous line running from his mouth towards the bars are set against a simplified mass of spectators and a geometric landscape. The frontal viewpoint gives the rider an almost monumental presence, while the crowd dissolves into overlapping silhouettes around him.

The thin blue strip from the rider’s mouth is therefore central to the subject. It represents the length of inner tube used by Magni to compensate for the loss of strength and movement caused by his fractured collarbone. Grosch has transformed a famous photographically documented episode into her characteristic visual language of flattened colour, simplified anatomy and geometric construction.

The image also gains additional significance from Magni’s place in Italian cycling history. A three-time winner of the Giro d’Italia, he was one of the leading Italian riders of the era dominated by Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali. His determination during the 1956 race added considerably to his reputation as one of cycling’s great figures of physical resilience.

The work is characteristic of Grosch’s distinctive graphic language, combining simplified forms, strong silhouettes, carefully controlled colour and an economy of line with a clear affinity for mid-century Modernist illustration and poster design. Although digitally produced, variations in texture across the jersey, skin, background and road give the image a tactile, print-like quality.

An especially strong example from Grosch’s History of Cycling series, representing a precisely identifiable event and one of the most celebrated stories of endurance in the history of the Giro d’Italia.

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.

Artist: Eleanor Grosch

Series: History of Cycling

Title: Giro d’Italia – 3 – 31 Maggio 1956

Date: Contemporary

Subject: Fiorenzo Magni, 1956 Giro d’Italia

Medium: Digital print on paper

Size: 45.8 × 30.4 cm

Signature: Signed by Eleanor Grosch.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.