The Musée d’Orsay, close to our hotels, has a new exhibition on offer looking at the Olympic Games… of 1900, when sports culture definitively entered the world of art…

Sport et idéal. Autour des Jeux Olympiques de 1900
Accrochage jusqu'au 22 sept.
👉 https://t.co/fc20KVpnA2

La gare d’Orsay fut construite pour les visiteurs de l’Exposition universelle et des JO de 1900.
Un accrochage qui rend hommage à cet héritage. pic.twitter.com/xU1my1K9Z7

— Musée d'Orsay (@MuseeOrsay) July 12, 2024

During the second half of the 19th century, following France’s defeat in Franco-Prussian War, the country badly needed to feel better about itself and feel strong.

The democratisation of sport contributed to this – initially an English trend, sports were finally not just reserved for rich white men, and artists began to depict these newly-popular practices in their art, with strong, healthy bodies seen stretching their limits and taking care of their physiques.

At was at this time also that women were allowed to participate in the Olympic Games for the first time ever (in 1990).

Society was evolving, and the arts showed this.

This new exhibition shows a range of different representations of sport in art, with styles that first took insipration from the Greek ideal before evolving to be in tune with their era. One particaularly eloquent example of this being shown is Maurice Denis monumental painting Jeu de volant (1900) which is more the three metres long and depicts women playing sport together with rackets.

You might like to know that visiting the Musée d’Orsay is simple even during the Olympic Games (entrance is via rue de Lille, but there is no need for a QR code). However, opening hours have been modified for the summer.

The museum is open every day except Mondays (but exceptionally closed on 25th and 26th July 2024), there are no late night openings from 18th July – 15th August 2024 inclusive, and from 18th-24th July 2024 online booking is obligatory.

You’ll find all the info here.

---

The exhibition Sport and Ideals – Around the 1900 Olympic Games is at the Musée d’Orsay (here) until 22nd September 2024

Open every day except Mondays from 9.30am-6pm. Before your visit, check details here

Admission: 16€ / 13€ (online ticket sales here)

Website / Facebook / Instagram / 𝕏

What3Words ///runways.camps.weaved

Voir cette publication sur Instagram

Une publication partagée par Voyages Impressionnistes (@lesvoyagesimpressionnistes)