ZOUCH’s newest feature is called Art Shots— simple, captivating showcases of visual art by some of the most fascinating artists of the internet age. But what of the artists of the steam age?

Romanticism, Impressionism, Expressionism, Surrealism… are we supposed to just pretend that these never even existed!? NO WAY! We’ve opted to expand our art posts to encompass both Art Shots (recent works) and Art Retros (short for Retrospectives).

For today’s Retro, let’s look at some rare comic book-like images created in 1910 by obscure French artist Villemard.  This was right on the heels of the 1890s, a time of major scientific innovation in France (such as the discovery of radioactivity by Henri Becquerel, Pierre & Marie Curie). The Machine Age was well underway, and there was a sense that the future was going to be something amazing.

The collection of illustrations featured below were dubbed by the artist: Utopie – En L’an 2000 (Utopia – in the year 2000). A hundred years later, they prove to be quite an innovative and sarcastic portrayal of what life might have been like in the year 2000:

A portrait of a train station in the year 2000 by Villemard (Utopie 1910)A portrait of construction in the year 2000 by Villemard (Utopie 1910)A portrait of a roller skating in the year 2000 by Villemard (Utopie 1910)A portrait of a life in the year 2000 by Villemard (Utopie 1910)A portrait of an automated barber in the year 2000 by Villemard (Utopie 1910)A portrait of automation in the year 2000 by Villemard (Utopie 1910)A portrait of dinner in the year 2000 by Villemard (Utopie 1910)A portrait of racing mini tanks in the year 2000 by Villemard (Utopie 1910)A portrait of a school of the future in the year 2000 by Villemard (Utopie 1910)A portrait of a movie of the future in the year 2000 by Villemard (Utopie 1910)A portrait of life in the future, in the year 2000 by Villemard (Utopie 1910)A portrait of life in the future, in the year 2000 by Villemard (Utopie 1910)A portrait of a couple listening to the newspaper in the future, in the year 2000 by Villemard (Utopie 1910)

A portrait of life in the future, in the year 2000 by Villemard (Utopie 1910)A portrait of life in the future, in the year 2000 by Villemard (Utopie 1910)A portrait of automation in the future, in the year 2000 by Villemard (Utopie 1910)A portrait of a flight boat of the future, in the year 2000 by Villemard (Utopie 1910)A portrait of life in future, in the year 2000 by Villemard (Utopie 1910)A portrait of planes (flight) in future, in the year 2000 by Villemard (Utopie 1910)A portrait of planes and boats in future, in the year 2000 by Villemard (Utopie 1910)A portrait of flight in future, in the year 2000 by Villemard (Utopie 1910)A portrait of flight in future, in the year 2000 by Villemard (Utopie 1910)A portrait of flight in future, in the year 2000 by Villemard (Utopie 1910)