Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (Albi 1864 - 1901 Malromé). Cyclist (Michael), 1895. Pencil on paper. 9,5x13cm. Dortu D.4252, illustrated p. 742. Preliminary study for the poster 'Le Cycle Michael' (cf. Delteil 359). From a European private collection; Phillips 1990 (27 June) lot 13; Göteborg Konstmuseum 1955 (2-27 September) lot 23; former Vladimir Raykis (1898-1966) collection; former Maurice Bunau-Varilla (1856-1944) collection, Drouot 1947 (9-10 July) lot 9

Toulouse-Lautrec was an enthusiastic fan of sporting events, emphasizing the late 19th-century French bicycling fervor. He became friends with 'Spoke', alias Louis Bouglé, who had a young prodigy in his team, Jimmy Michael (1877-1904); this one was a renowned Welsh world cycling champion and one of the top riders in the sport for several years.