Artist Rob Roy

Rob Roy (née Richard de la Rivière) was an artist born in Mont-de-Marsan in the south west of France in 1909.

From an early age, he had his father’s passion for motorized vehicles and art. He developed a talent of accurately and vividly documenting the events around him with his art, which was mostly motor racing. Between the wars, he did his watercolours, and at times, managed to also do some racing.

Grand Prix de Monaco 1935

Mercedes W25 & Alfa Romeo P3

He captured the racers of the time, Nuvolari, Varzi, Chiron, Caracciola, Ascari, Fagioli, Sommer, Dreyfus, and so on, his watercolours portraying their tight battles of the tracks of Europe.

Coupe Internationale des Voiturettes, Le Mans 1920

Bugatti Type 13 & Fiat

Prior to World War II, Rob Roy had joined to army, so when the war started, he joined the 3^rd Tank Battalion. He was captured but later managed to escape. He kept a diary and did art-pieces of his war experiences, which have recently been published as a book “Carnet de guerre de Rob Roy 1939 à 1944.”

Mille Miglia 1936 
Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza

After the war, he worked in the automobile industry, and continued to do art for advertisements, brochures, magazines, books and posters.

He stayed involved with his motor racing friends and doing his motor racing art until his passing 1992.

Recently, I was lucky enough to find three Rob Roy prints locally for my racing automobilia collection; they are wonderful records of racing past.

You can find out more on Rob Roy at this website: http://www.art-robroy.com/index_en.htm