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 10, Arno Lanzi

Athlétisme 10

Arno Lanzi

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

$1,669

Painting, Athlétisme 9, Arno Lanzi

Athlétisme 9

Arno Lanzi

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

$1,669

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

$1,669

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

$1,669

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

$1,669

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

$2,623

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

$2,980

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

$1,669

Photography, Jordan, Bernard Pras

Jordan

Bernard Pras

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

$5,961

Sculpture, Jordan street art, Spaco

Jordan street art

Spaco

Sculpture - 22 x 24 x 6 cm Sculpture - 8.7 x 9.4 x 2.4 inch

$298

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, Heat, Abashidze Marusya

Heat

Abashidze Marusya

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

$364

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

Painting, Skate, Stéphane Cantin

Skate

Stéphane Cantin

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

$358

Photography, Twins, Corinne Dubreuil

Twins

Corinne Dubreuil

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

$1,311

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

$1,311

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

$1,311

Photography, Serena, Corinne Dubreuil

Serena

Corinne Dubreuil

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

$1,252

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

$1,013

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

$1,013

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

$1,013

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

$1,013

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

$1,013

Painting, Marathon, Klimenko Olena

Marathon

Klimenko Olena

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

$1,371

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

$2,980

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

$2,980

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

$2,980

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

$2,980

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

$1,788

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

$1,788

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, Portrait #02, Koba

Portrait #02

Koba

Painting - 24 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 9.4 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

$274

Photography, Anissa, Gérard Uféras

Anissa

Gérard Uféras

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

$2,146

Painting, Benzema, PyB

Benzema

PyB

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

$227

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

$1,931

Photography, Église, Alexis Berg

Église

Alexis Berg

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

$1,931

Photography, Laëtitia, Alexis Berg

Laëtitia

Alexis Berg

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

$1,931

Photography, Hardrock, Alexis Berg

Hardrock

Alexis Berg

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

$1,931

Photography, Retour, Alexis Berg

Retour

Alexis Berg

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

$1,931

Photography, Mêlée III, Michel Birot

Mêlée III

Michel Birot

Photography - 60 x 190 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 74.8 x 0 inch

$2,086

Photography, Source, Michel Birot

Source

Michel Birot

Photography - 40 x 107 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 42.1 x 0 inch

$1,788

Photography, Lagos, Thomas Hoeffgen

Lagos

Thomas Hoeffgen

Photography - 41 x 104 x 0.1 cm Photography - 16.1 x 40.9 x 0 inch

$2,384

Photography, Samoa, Michel Birot

Samoa

Michel Birot

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

$3,934

Photography, Soweto, Thomas Hoeffgen

Soweto

Thomas Hoeffgen

Photography - 40 x 54 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 21.3 x 0 inch

$2,861

Sculpture, Discobole gold, Spaco

Discobole gold

Spaco

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

$298

Painting, Equitation, Raymond Poulet

Equitation

Raymond Poulet

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

$4,172