Sport

At school, we sometimes tend to oppose athletes and artists. However, sport and art often mix and sublimate each other. The meeting of these two disciplines is frequent in the history of art and more particularly in contemporary art. 

Already during Antiquity, the Greeks devoted an absolute cult to the perfect athletic body. On pots and vases, artists painted the exploits of the competitors of the first Olympic Games in the 8th century BC.

Whatever the medium (photography, painting, sculpture, collage...), the musculature and the psychological state of the sportsmen, the places of training or the competitions are inexhaustible sources of inspiration for the artists. Between the representation of reality and the hijacking of a symbol, sport is a recurring theme for young artists.

Discover with Artsper our Olympic podium of artworks!

Photography is probably the first medium that comes to mind when representing sports. It is the only medium that allows us to capture images of the athletes' prowess at full speed. Thus, the shots are taken on the spot to offer a better rendering of the movement and to manage to capture the palpable tension on the field, the team cohesion, the crucial moment...

A leader of the new wave, Gerry Cranham had a career in athletics before becoming a coach. Passionate about photography, he takes pictures of the young people he coaches in order to correct their position and analyze their stride. Very quickly, he decided to convert his hobby into a real job. He became a sports photographer and quickly built a reputation as one of the leading sports photographers in England and internationally. His pictures of rugby, soccer, tennis, wrestling and swimming were published all over the world in the most prestigious magazines such as Sport Illustrated or The Observer. 

But sport also inspired painters and it is found in all artistic movements of the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1853, Gustave Courbet painted "The Wrestlers", a large oil on canvas depicting two men practicing French wrestling in the old hippodrome of the Champs Élysées. To the right, in the background, one can see the audience, cheering the athletes. Among the Impressionists, Claude Monet developed his technique with "Les Régates d'Argenteuil", an 1872 painting in which the boats are reflected in the water in a magnificent way. In modern art, Nicolas de Staël's "Les Footballeurs" represents a soccer field in the middle of a match, but in an abstract way. The players are discernible thanks to the flat colors that make up the team jerseys. 

You too can bring your passions to life through contemporary sports paintings, sculptures and photographs. Discover the work of well-known and emerging artists such as Victor Spahn, Isabelle Picarel, Michel Birot, Chiara Dazi and many others... 

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Sculpture, Narturo, Manuel Mediavilla

Narturo

Manuel Mediavilla

Sculpture - 33 x 20 x 12 cm Sculpture - 13 x 7.9 x 4.7 inch

$5,101

Photography, Spurs, Gerry Cranham

Spurs

Gerry Cranham

Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0 inch

$1,068

Painting, Mickey Lakers, Jug

Mickey Lakers

Jug

Painting - 162 x 97 x 4 cm Painting - 63.8 x 38.2 x 1.6 inch

$1,780

Painting, Mickey bulls, Jug

Mickey bulls

Jug

Painting - 97 x 162 x 4 cm Painting - 38.2 x 63.8 x 1.6 inch

$1,780

Painting, Porsche speed, Spaco

Porsche speed

Spaco

Painting - 45 x 38 x 2 cm Painting - 17.7 x 15 x 0.8 inch

$391

Photography, By My Side 9, Antoine Rose

By My Side 9

Antoine Rose

Photography - 35 x 35 x 0.5 cm Photography - 13.8 x 13.8 x 0.2 inch

$1,305

Photography, By My Side 8, Antoine Rose

By My Side 8

Antoine Rose

Photography - 35 x 35 x 0.5 cm Photography - 13.8 x 13.8 x 0.2 inch

$1,305

Photography, By My Side 7, Antoine Rose

By My Side 7

Antoine Rose

Photography - 35 x 35 x 0.5 cm Photography - 13.8 x 13.8 x 0.2 inch

$1,305

Photography, By My Side 3, Antoine Rose

By My Side 3

Antoine Rose

Photography - 35 x 35 x 0.5 cm Photography - 13.8 x 13.8 x 0.2 inch

$1,305

Painting, Yellow, Roberta Pinna

Yellow

Roberta Pinna

Painting - 43.2 x 33 x 20.3 cm Painting - 17 x 13 x 8 inch

$1,800

Painting, Air Jordan, Kapea

Air Jordan

Kapea

Painting - 116 x 73 x 2.5 cm Painting - 45.7 x 28.7 x 1 inch

$1,720

Photography, Best wave II, Tommy Schultz

Best wave II

Tommy Schultz

Photography - 50 x 75 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 29.5 x 0 inch

$949

Print, Athletes, Sandro Chia

Athletes

Sandro Chia

Print - 86.4 x 66 cm Print - 34 x 26 inch

$1,500

Photography, Le Volleyeur, Julie Peiffer

Le Volleyeur

Julie Peiffer

Photography - 50 x 50 x 0.04 cm Photography - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch

$712

Print, Olympic Robe, Jim Dine

Olympic Robe

Jim Dine

Print - 88.9 x 68.6 cm Print - 35 x 27 inch

$5,000

Photography, Vail Skiers, Slim Aarons

Vail Skiers

Slim Aarons

Photography - 152.4 x 101.6 cm Photography - 60 x 40 inch

$6,098

Photography, Skulls, Hugh Turvey

Skulls

Hugh Turvey

Photography - 60 x 120 cm Photography - 23.6 x 47.2 inch

$2,543

Painting, Nostalgie, Alain Arnouil

Nostalgie

Alain Arnouil

Painting - 73 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 28.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

$890

Painting, Tango, Pol Ledent

Tango

Pol Ledent

Painting - 50 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

$475

Sculpture, Quadriga, Petar Iliev

Quadriga

Petar Iliev

Sculpture - 21 x 28 x 38 cm Sculpture - 8.3 x 11 x 15 inch

$3,974

Sculpture, Le Padda rugbyman, Dotty

Le Padda rugbyman

Dotty

Sculpture - 23 x 15 x 12 cm Sculpture - 9.1 x 5.9 x 4.7 inch

$2,847

Photography, Foot de rue, Uwe Ommer

Foot de rue

Uwe Ommer

Photography - 40 x 48 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 18.9 x 0 inch

$1,174

Photography, Ali I, Gerry Cranham

Ali I

Gerry Cranham

Photography - 30 x 45 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 17.7 x 0 inch

$1,174

Photography, Borg II, Gerry Cranham

Borg II

Gerry Cranham

Photography - 60 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0 inch

$1,068

Photography, Everton fans, Gerry Cranham

Everton fans

Gerry Cranham

Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0 inch

$1,068

Fine Art Drawings, Untitled, Patrick Villas

Untitled

Patrick Villas

Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 65 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 25.6 inch

$1,424

Print, The Boss - EA, Ske

The Boss - EA

Ske

Print - 59.4 x 42 x 0.1 cm Print - 23.4 x 16.5 x 0 inch

$208

Print, The JumpKaws - EA, Ske

The JumpKaws - EA

Ske

Print - 59.4 x 42 x 0.1 cm Print - 23.4 x 16.5 x 0 inch

$208