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... 

Read more
Painting, Paradox2, Nicholas Robertson

Nicholas Robertson

Painting . 25.4 x 20.1 x 0.5 cm Painting . 10 x 7.9 x 0.2 inch

€328

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

€21,100

Sculpture, Coner, Jean-Louis Corby

Jean-Louis Corby

Sculpture . 55 x 30 x 22 cm Sculpture . 21.7 x 11.8 x 8.7 inch

Price upon request

Photography, Duel Spa 70, LAT Archives

LAT Archives

Photography . 60 x 80 x 3 cm Photography . 23.6 x 31.5 x 1.2 inch

€650

Painting, N'tamack, Remi Bertoche

Remi Bertoche

Painting . 80 x 120 x 4 cm Painting . 31.5 x 47.2 x 1.6 inch

€13,500

Painting, In game, Ed Potapenkov

Ed Potapenkov

Painting . 90 x 140 x 2 cm Painting . 35.4 x 55.1 x 0.8 inch

€3,000

Photography, Fluide, LAT Archives

LAT Archives

Photography . 50 x 75 x 2 cm Photography . 19.7 x 29.5 x 0.8 inch

€745

Photography, Le dernier run, Pierre Moreau

Pierre Moreau

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

€1,900

Painting, Days of Grace, Erni Vales

Erni Vales

Painting . 132 x 102 x 5 cm Painting . 52 x 40.2 x 2 inch

€9,750

Print, Basket, Azucena Gonzalez

Azucena Gonzalez

Print . 80 x 60 x 1 cm Print . 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch

€299

Painting, Skate, Stéphane Cantin

Stéphane Cantin

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

€300

Print, Army Of Me Blue, Batik

Batik

Print . 101.6 x 152.4 x 0 cm Print . 40 x 60 x 0.01 inch

€2,250

Painting, Morning bike, Klimenko Olena

Klimenko Olena

Painting . 53 x 35 x 2 cm Painting . 20.9 x 13.8 x 0.8 inch

€465

Painting, Sunny beach, Klimenko Olena

Klimenko Olena

Painting . 50 x 35 x 2 cm Painting . 19.7 x 13.8 x 0.8 inch

€465

Painting, Movement, Klimenko Olena

Klimenko Olena

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

€305

Painting, Gym bag 1, Katalin Soós

Katalin Soós

Painting . 40 x 60 x 3 cm Painting . 15.7 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch

€450

Painting, Marathon 9, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting . 30 x 30 x 1 cm Painting . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€670

Painting, Marathon 8, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting . 30 x 30 x 1 cm Painting . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€670

Painting, Marathon 7, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting . 30 x 30 x 1 cm Painting . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€670

Painting, Marathon 6, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting . 30 x 30 x 1 cm Painting . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€670

Painting, Marathon 5, Arno Lanzi

Arno Lanzi

Painting . 30 x 30 x 1 cm Painting . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€670

Photography, Bucéphale, Pierre Moreau

Pierre Moreau

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

€1,900

Painting, Heat, Abashidze Marusya

Abashidze Marusya

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

€305

Painting, Skier, Rinalds Vanadzins

Rinalds Vanadzins

Painting . 34.8 x 49.8 x 0.3 cm Painting . 13.7 x 19.6 x 0.1 inch

€729

Painting, Magic ice 4, Elena Sokolova

Elena Sokolova

Painting . 50 x 70.1 x 1 cm Painting . 19.7 x 27.6 x 0.4 inch

€635

Painting, Champion, Anatoly Varvarov

Anatoly Varvarov

Painting . 135 x 195 x 2 cm Painting . 53.1 x 76.8 x 0.8 inch

€5,900

Painting, Football, Stéphane Cantin

Stéphane Cantin

Painting . 47 x 21 x 1.5 cm Painting . 18.5 x 8.3 x 0.6 inch

€320

Painting, Lutte, Stéphane Cantin

Stéphane Cantin

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

€320

Painting, Judo, Stéphane Cantin

Stéphane Cantin

Painting . 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting . 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€300

Painting, Rugby, Stéphane Cantin

Stéphane Cantin

Painting . 61 x 50 x 1.5 cm Painting . 24 x 19.7 x 0.6 inch

€400

Painting, Surf, Stéphane Cantin

Stéphane Cantin

Painting . 50 x 61 x 1.5 cm Painting . 19.7 x 24 x 0.6 inch

€460

Painting, Tir, Stéphane Cantin

Tir

Stéphane Cantin

Painting . 20 x 20 x 1.5 cm Painting . 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.6 inch

€150

Painting, Windsurf, Stéphane Cantin

Stéphane Cantin

Painting . 61 x 50 x 1.5 cm Painting . 24 x 19.7 x 0.6 inch

€400

Painting, Golf, Stéphane Cantin

Stéphane Cantin

Painting . 60 x 20 x 1.5 cm Painting . 23.6 x 7.9 x 0.6 inch

€230

Painting, Escalade, Stéphane Cantin

Stéphane Cantin

Painting . 60 x 20 x 1.5 cm Painting . 23.6 x 7.9 x 0.6 inch

€230

Painting, Boxe, Stéphane Cantin

Stéphane Cantin

Painting . 20 x 20 x 1.5 cm Painting . 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.6 inch

€150

Painting, Escrime, Stéphane Cantin

Stéphane Cantin

Painting . 50 x 61 x 1.5 cm Painting . 19.7 x 24 x 0.6 inch

€430

Painting, Aviron, Stéphane Cantin

Stéphane Cantin

Painting . 50 x 61 x 1.5 cm Painting . 19.7 x 24 x 0.6 inch

€430

18/21