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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Painting, Athlétisme 8, Arno Lanzi

Athlétisme 8

Arno Lanzi

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

$1,667

Painting, Athlétisme 7, Arno Lanzi

Athlétisme 7

Arno Lanzi

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

$1,667

Painting, Athlétisme 6, Arno Lanzi

Athlétisme 6

Arno Lanzi

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

$1,667

Painting, Athlétisme 5, Arno Lanzi

Athlétisme 5

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 60 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

$2,619

Painting, Athlétisme 4, Arno Lanzi

Athlétisme 4

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 92 x 73 x 2 cm Painting - 36.2 x 28.7 x 0.8 inch

$2,976

Painting, Athlétisme 3, Arno Lanzi

Athlétisme 3

Arno Lanzi

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

$1,667

Photography, Jordan, Bernard Pras

Jordan

Bernard Pras

Photography - 106 x 80 x 3 cm Photography - 41.7 x 31.5 x 1.2 inch

$5,953

Painting, Heat, Abashidze Marusya

Heat

Abashidze Marusya

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

$363

Painting, Real Madrid, Esteban Vera

Real Madrid

Esteban Vera

Painting - 89.9 x 70.1 x 5.1 cm Painting - 35.4 x 27.6 x 2 inch

$1,400

Painting, Lutte, Stéphane Cantin

Lutte

Stéphane Cantin

Painting - 33 x 41 x 2 cm Painting - 13 x 16.1 x 0.8 inch

$381

Painting, La régate, Frank De Blok

La régate

Frank De Blok

Painting - 15 x 25 x 2 cm Painting - 5.9 x 9.8 x 0.8 inch

$310

Sculpture, Discobole gold, Spaco

Discobole gold

Spaco

Sculpture - 28 x 24 x 3 cm Sculpture - 11 x 9.4 x 1.2 inch

$298

Photography, Twins, Corinne Dubreuil

Twins

Corinne Dubreuil

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

$1,310

Painting, Marathon, Klimenko Olena

Marathon

Klimenko Olena

Painting - 70 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

$1,369

Photography, Roger (4), Corinne Dubreuil

Roger (4)

Corinne Dubreuil

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

$1,310

Photography, Roger (8), Corinne Dubreuil

Roger (8)

Corinne Dubreuil

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

$1,310

Photography, Serena, Corinne Dubreuil

Serena

Corinne Dubreuil

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

$1,250

Painting, Rugby 6, Arno Lanzi

Rugby 6

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 73 x 54 x 1 cm Painting - 28.7 x 21.3 x 0.4 inch

$1,012

Painting, Rugby 5, Arno Lanzi

Rugby 5

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 73 x 54 x 1 cm Painting - 28.7 x 21.3 x 0.4 inch

$1,012

Painting, Rugby 4, Arno Lanzi

Rugby 4

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 73 x 54 x 1 cm Painting - 28.7 x 21.3 x 0.4 inch

$1,012

Painting, Rugby 2, Arno Lanzi

Rugby 2

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 73 x 54 x 1 cm Painting - 28.7 x 21.3 x 0.4 inch

$1,012

Painting, Rugby 1, Arno Lanzi

Rugby 1

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 73 x 54 x 1 cm Painting - 28.7 x 21.3 x 0.4 inch

$1,012

Painting, Sailing regatta, MKate

Sailing regatta

MKate

Painting - 31 x 23 x 1 cm Painting - 12.2 x 9.1 x 0.4 inch

$250

Painting, Marathon 4, Arno Lanzi

Marathon 4

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 90 x 70 x 1 cm Painting - 35.4 x 27.6 x 0.4 inch

$2,976

Painting, Marathon 3, Arno Lanzi

Marathon 3

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 90 x 70 x 1 cm Painting - 35.4 x 27.6 x 0.4 inch

$2,976

Painting, Marathon 2, Arno Lanzi

Marathon 2

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 90 x 70 x 1 cm Painting - 35.4 x 27.6 x 0.4 inch

$2,976

Painting, Marathon 1, Arno Lanzi

Marathon 1

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 90 x 70 x 1 cm Painting - 35.4 x 27.6 x 0.4 inch

$2,976

Photography, Bolchoi I, Gérard Uféras

Bolchoi I

Gérard Uféras

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

$1,786

Photography, Opéra XIV, Gérard Uféras

Opéra XIV

Gérard Uféras

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

$1,786

Painting, Skate, Stéphane Cantin

Skate

Stéphane Cantin

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

$357

Photography, Anissa, Gérard Uféras

Anissa

Gérard Uféras

Photography - 40 x 50 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 inch

$2,143

Painting, Benzema, PyB

Benzema

PyB

Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

$226

Photography, Grand Océan, Alexis Berg

Grand Océan

Alexis Berg

Photography - 70 x 105 x 0.1 cm Photography - 27.6 x 41.3 x 0 inch

$1,929

Photography, Église, Alexis Berg

Église

Alexis Berg

Photography - 70 x 105 x 0.1 cm Photography - 27.6 x 41.3 x 0 inch

$1,929

Photography, Laëtitia, Alexis Berg

Laëtitia

Alexis Berg

Photography - 70 x 105 x 0.1 cm Photography - 27.6 x 41.3 x 0 inch

$1,929

Photography, Hardrock, Alexis Berg

Hardrock

Alexis Berg

Photography - 70 x 105 x 0.1 cm Photography - 27.6 x 41.3 x 0 inch

$1,929

Photography, Retour, Alexis Berg

Retour

Alexis Berg

Photography - 70 x 105 x 0.1 cm Photography - 27.6 x 41.3 x 0 inch

$1,929

Painting, Perast, Alexander Shandor

Perast

Alexander Shandor

Painting - 80 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

$6,000

Painting, Equitation, Raymond Poulet

Equitation

Raymond Poulet

Painting - 35 x 27 x 2 cm Painting - 13.8 x 10.6 x 0.8 inch

$4,167

Painting, Movement, Klimenko Olena

Movement

Klimenko Olena

Painting - 40 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

$363

Photography, Lamb I, Laurent Gudin

Lamb I

Laurent Gudin

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

$1,310

Photography, Teddy, Eliot Blondet

Teddy

Eliot Blondet

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

$1,726

Sculpture, Altero, Pascal Billard

Altero

Pascal Billard

Sculpture - 40 x 68 x 18 cm Sculpture - 15.7 x 26.8 x 7.1 inch

$1,143