Automobilist State of the (Fine) Art, Mercedes-Benz W154 🏹

A bittersweet ending to Hermann Lang's first Grand Prix win. That was the 1939 Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps Circuit in Belgium. Racing for the Daimler-Benz team in the Mercedes-Benz W154 car, the race was initially led by his team driver, Richard Seaman, in one of the four competing Silver Arrows. Due to the horrid wet conditions raging throughout the race day, Seaman's car slipped and crashed into a tree, bursting into flames. The accident propelled Lang to first place, eventually winning the race. Despite being rushed into the hospital, the English driver, unfortunately, died the very same night. His death was probably the last time until after the war when Germany and Britain mourned a shared tragedy.

With the initial concept drawn by hand and then recreated in 3D, the background scene was to be shot in the original setting - on a road through a dense forest. The crucial part was to get the costumes right to fit the period. All of the bystanders and firefighters were thus clothed in 1930s-style suits and uniforms. Since the weather conditions at the time of the race were wet and rainy, the road had to be artificially dampened with a water hose, recreating both the look of the wet road and the pouring rain. The smoke of the burning car that covered the scene was also produced practically – with strategically placed fog machines.

The compositing of the 3D models is an intricate process. With the CGI concept being done beforehand, the photo had to be shot accordingly to the angle of the vehicles on the road. The final artwork shows two of the four competing Silver Arrows – Seaman's crashed number 26 and Hermann Lang's winning number 22 car. Interestingly, the cars were placed around the drivers. The actors were arranged in perfect positions on the track accordingly to the original concepts for the 3D models to enclose them within the cockpit. Also, a little cameo of Auto Union can be seen in the left corner of the artwork, where their Type D is shown being pursued by the W154.

The name of the artwork, ‘A Dampened Victory’, speaks for itself. Not only was the victory achieved on a damp track, but the celebrations were depreciated by tears and sadness from the unfortunate accident. The Fine Art Print takes us to the days of pioneering spirits and unwavering heroism as the drivers fly by at high speeds in what would now be race-interrupting conditions. Join us as we honour the best pre-war British driver, whose demise ultimately led to the birth of a legend of the Daimler-Benz team.

Honour the legendary Silver Arrows with our Fine Art Print!