Mansion House Antiques & Fine Art has dated this piece to the 1960s.
Drivers were Sammy Davis & Dudley Benjafield.
The race was one of the most remarkable and dramatic pre-war Le Mans races. It is commonly remembered due to the infamous White House crash, a major accident that involved eight cars including all three of the widely tipped Bentley team''''s entries, and caused the retirement of two of them. The race was eventually won by the third which, although badly damaged, was able to be repaired by drivers Dudley Benjafield and Sammy Davis. It was Bentley''''s second victory in the endurance classic.
In a race missing many major manufacturers, the three Bentleys had been comfortably leading from the start, putting a lap on the rest on the field.
The accident occurred about 9.40pm, as night was falling and a drizzle had started. A 2-litre Th. Schneider had spun at the White House curves blocking the road when the lead Bentley, unsighted, hit it at speed. Davis was able to extricate his damaged car and get back to the pits, resuming the race after a half-hour repair.
The French Ariès of Jean Chassagne and Robert Laly, the only other large-engined car in the race, had meanwhile taken the lead.
They held it through a very wet night and into the Sunday, until stopped with less than two hours to go by a broken distributor.
Davis and Benjafield had pushed their mishandling car hard all the way to take a lauded victory, in the end by a considerable 20-lap margin.
This fine large example is signed lower bottom left corner by the artist Dion Pears ( born 1929- Died 1985 ) and was painted in Le Mans.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Dion Pears (1929-1985) was a British painter. Born in Richmond, Surrey in 1929.
Pears was the grandson of the famed marine artist Charles Pears.
Following the 1950 Monte Carlo Rally Pears was commissioned by the car manufacturer Renault to produce a painting of one of their winning cars.
The artist soon came to be considered among the most eminent motorsport artists. He was commissioned by several celebrated motor racing drivers to represent their successes and beloved cars in his distinctive and lively style of painting, capturing lasting impressions of both the racing car and the winning driver.
From Le Mans to Grand Prix, Bentley to Ferrari the artist regularly received commissions to paint contemporary races and legendary events retrospectively.
As his career developed, Pears expanded his oeuvre and became well regarded for his paintings of motorcycles and aeroplanes. Alongside his more popular automobile paintings, Pears was an accomplished seascape and landscape artist.
The artist regularly captured barges, riggers and grand ships in his work, his celebrated skill of representing clarity of movement evident in his maritime works as well as in those depicting fast-paced motorised machines.
The artist’s ability to portray the changeable nature of the sea was such that Pears was regularly invited to exhibit with the Royal Society of Marine Artists.
The artist died in 1985. His work remains in the collection of the National Motor Museum and in several private collections throughout Britain.
FRAMED MEASUREMENTS
Height : 36.25 Inches ( 92 cm )
Width : 44 Inches ( 112 cm )
Depth : 3 Inches ( 8 cm )
CONDITION
Very good order for age, past revarnish, within
the original period gilt wooden decorative frame
DELIVERY
UK Packaged By Private Courier £125
Worldwide : EU & USA £750
TELEPHONE 07765 856171
Ref : 0920
Mansion House Antiques & Fine Art has dated this piece to the 1960s.
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Dion Pears Bentley 3 Litre Le Mans Winner 1927 at Sartre Drivers Sammy Davis & Dudley Benjafield Huge Collectors Vintage Classic Car Paintings Car Portraits
