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 7, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

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

CHF 1,372

Painting, Athlétisme 6, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

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

CHF 1,372

Painting, Athlétisme 5, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

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

CHF 2,155

Painting, Athlétisme 4, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

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

CHF 2,449

Painting, Athlétisme 3, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

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

CHF 1,372

Painting, Athlétisme 2, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting - 81 x 65 cm Painting - 31.9 x 25.6 inch

CHF 2,155

Photography, Jordan, Bernard Pras

Bernard Pras

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

CHF 4,899

Painting, Heat, Abashidze Marusya

Abashidze Marusya

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

CHF 299

Painting, Real Madrid, Esteban Vera

Esteban Vera

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

CHF 1,193

Painting, The chosen one, Karine Wald

Karine Wald

Painting - 195 x 140 x 4 cm Painting - 76.8 x 55.1 x 1.6 inch

CHF 10,777

Painting, Lutte, Stéphane Cantin

Stéphane Cantin

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

CHF 314

Fine Art Drawings, Calcio, Alexander Daniloff

Alexander Daniloff

Fine Art Drawings - 17 x 20 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 6.7 x 7.9 x 0.1 inch

CHF 88

Painting, La régate, Frank De Blok

Frank De Blok

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

CHF 255

Sculpture, Discobole gold, Spaco

Spaco

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

CHF 245

Photography, Twins, Corinne Dubreuil

Corinne Dubreuil

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

CHF 1,078

Painting, After the rain, Zhao De-Wei

Zhao De-Wei

Painting - 77 x 231 x 4 cm Painting - 30.3 x 90.9 x 1.6 inch

CHF 20,672

Painting, 1234567, Gabrielle Graessle

Gabrielle Graessle

Painting - 130 x 160 x 2 cm Painting - 51.2 x 63 x 0.8 inch

CHF 8,264

Painting, Marathon, Klimenko Olena

Klimenko Olena

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

CHF 1,127

Photography, Roger (4), Corinne Dubreuil

Corinne Dubreuil

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

CHF 1,078

Photography, Roger (8), Corinne Dubreuil

Corinne Dubreuil

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

CHF 1,078

Photography, Serena (3), Corinne Dubreuil

Corinne Dubreuil

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

CHF 833

Photography, Serena, Corinne Dubreuil

Corinne Dubreuil

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

CHF 1,029

Painting, Rugby 6, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

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

CHF 833

Painting, Rugby 5, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

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

CHF 833

Painting, Rugby 4, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

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

CHF 833

Painting, Rugby 2, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

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

CHF 833

Painting, Rugby 1, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

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

CHF 833

Painting, Sailing regatta, MKate

MKate

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

CHF 213

Painting, Marathon 4, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

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

CHF 2,449

Painting, Marathon 3, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

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

CHF 2,449

Painting, Marathon 2, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

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

CHF 2,449

Painting, Marathon 1, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

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

CHF 2,449

Painting, Skate, Stéphane Cantin

Stéphane Cantin

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

CHF 294

Painting, Benzema, PyB

PyB

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

CHF 186

Sculpture, Untitled, Segundo Gutiérrez

Segundo Gutiérrez

Sculpture - 43 x 50 x 8.5 cm Sculpture - 16.9 x 19.7 x 3.3 inch

CHF 3,265

Photography, Grand Océan, Alexis Berg

Alexis Berg

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

CHF 1,587

Photography, Église, Alexis Berg

Alexis Berg

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

CHF 1,587

Photography, Laëtitia, Alexis Berg

Alexis Berg

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

CHF 1,587

Photography, Hardrock, Alexis Berg

Alexis Berg

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

CHF 1,587

Photography, Retour, Alexis Berg

Alexis Berg

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

CHF 1,587

Painting, Surfing, Alla Meleschenko

Alla Meleschenko

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

CHF 596

Painting, Jouissance, Damien Legrain

Damien Legrain

Painting - 30 x 90 x 2.5 cm Painting - 11.8 x 35.4 x 1 inch

CHF 323

Painting, Attaquant, Aurino Jottar

Aurino Jottar

Painting - 100 x 83 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 32.7 x 1.2 inch

CHF 3,478

Painting, Les Joueurs, Aurino Jottar

Aurino Jottar

Painting - 83 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 32.7 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch

CHF 3,478

Painting, Equitation, Raymond Poulet

Raymond Poulet

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

CHF 3,429

Painting, Movement, Klimenko Olena

Klimenko Olena

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

CHF 299

Print, M'Bappé, Vincent Sabatier

Vincent Sabatier

Print - 70 x 50 x 0.1 cm Print - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch

CHF 97

Photography, Bolchoi I, Gérard Uféras

Gérard Uféras

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

CHF 1,470

Photography, Opéra XIV, Gérard Uféras

Gérard Uféras

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

CHF 1,470

Photography, Le concours, Gérard Uféras

Gérard Uféras

Photography - 40 x 50 x 5 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 x 2 inch

CHF 1,470

Photography, Anissa, Gérard Uféras

Gérard Uféras

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

CHF 1,764

Photography, Lamb I, Laurent Gudin

Laurent Gudin

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

CHF 1,078

Photography, Jean-Pierre Rives, Mark Leech

Mark Leech

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

CHF 1,910

Photography, Sept d'or, Eliot Blondet

Eliot Blondet

Photography - 90 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 35.4 x 23.6 x 0 inch

CHF 1,910

Photography, Sacré cœur, Bilal Aouffen

Bilal Aouffen

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

CHF 980