Sport

Sports Fan? You Will Love Vintage Olympic Posters

Marta Wiktoria Bryll 19 December 2023 min Read

Did you know that since 1912 each Olympic host city has commissioned one or more posters to celebrate the hosting of the Games? Here’s our selection of (mainly vintage) posters created by contemporary artists for the Olympic Games.

1. Tokyo 2020

Let’s start with the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. By the way, did you know that until 1948, art was an Olympic matter of judgment? Imagine meeting someone for the first time and hearing they’re on the Olympic team, only to learn that instead of running or swimming, they do their workout in front of the canvas!

Taku Satoh, Poster for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Olympic games
Taku Satoh, Olympic Cloud, poster for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Olympic Games Official Website.

Shinro Ohtake, Space Kicker, Poster for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Olympic Games Official Website.
Shinro Ohtake, Space Kicker, poster for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Olympic Games Official Website.

Hirohiko Araki, The Sky Above The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, Poster for the Tokyo 2020 Paraolympics. Olympic Games Official Website.
Hirohiko Araki, The Sky Above The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, poster for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Olympic Games Official Website.

Did you notice the reference to a famous The Great Wave off Kanagawa print by Katsushika Hokusai?

2. Rio de Janeiro 2016

Each edition of the Olympic Games results in the creation of some special posters, serving mainly advertising or communication purposes. Posters commonly feature symbols such as the Olympic torch, colorful Olympic rings, or site-specific mascots/pictograms or places.

Eduardo Kobra, Child flying a kite above the Rio favelas, Poster for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics. Olympic games
Eduardo Kobra, Child flying a kite above the Rio favelas, poster for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics. DeeZeen.

Juarez Machado's Olimpíadas, Muscular runner on Copacabana Beach, Poster for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics. Olympic games
Juarez Machado, Muscular runner on Copacabana Beach, poster for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics. DeeZeen.

3. Mexico 1968

The colorful Olympic rings are the symbol that makes the official posters immediately identifiable. They represent the union of five continents and the meeting of athletes from all nations. The Olympic rings first appeared in 1928. Since then they have been used as a unifying element on all promotional or official materials.

Eduardo Terrazas, Poster for the Mexico 1968 Olympics. Olympic games
Eduardo Terrazas, poster for the Mexico 1968 Olympics. Art Institute of Chicago.

4. London 2012

Although now there’s no real need to advertise the quadrennial Olympic event, during the early years of official contemporary games, the posters served an informational role. Radio or television ads directed to spectators and athletes were not officially used until the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics (radio ads) and 1936 Berlin Olympics (television ads). This meant that the promotion of the event relied mainly on print media. The official Olympics poster of 1912 was produced in 16 languages, which shows how important international distribution was.

Rachel Whiteread, LOndOn 2012, Poster for the London 2012 Olympics. Olympic games
Rachel Whiteread, LOndOn 2012, poster for the London 2012 Olympics. Counter Editions.

5. Moscow 1980

As already mentioned, there’s no real need to put the exact dates or geographical locations on the posters. These designs currently have more of a traditional role, giving contemporary local artists a chance to shine. Browsing through the collections of Olympic posters is indeed a great opportunity to see the evolution of design throughout the years, and national themes or styles.

Wladimir Arsentjev, Poster for the Moscow 1980 Olympics. Olympic games
Wladimir Arsentjev, poster for the Moscow 1980 Olympics. Olympic Museum.

6. Barcelona 1992

These Barcelona Olympics posters are a great example of “national” themes. Doesn’t this poster give you an instant Joan Miró feeling?

Peret, Poster for the Barcelona 1992 Olympics. Olympic games
Guillermo Pérez Villalta, poster for the Barcelona 1992 Olympics. V&A Museum.

Enric Satue, Olympic Oath, Poster for the Barcelona 1992 Olympics. Olympic games
Enric Satue, Olympic Oath, poster for the Barcelona 1992 Olympics. Olympic Museum.

7. Berlin 1936

This Olympic poster promoting the games in Berlin has a strong nationalistic vibe. Look at the year – it’s not a coincidence. The figure of an athlete wearing an olive crown (traditionally worn by the victor in ancient Roman Olympic games) makes a gesture similar to the Nazi salute above the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. This design only echoes the time and is similar to political posters produced in the late 1930s.

Franz Wurbel, Poster for the Berlin 1936 Olympics. Olympic games
Franz Wurbel, poster for the Berlin 1936 Olympics. Inside the Games.

8. Stockholm 1912

This poster for the Stockholm Olympics in 1921 caused a huge controversy due to the nude male figure in the front (the “strategically” placed ribbons were added later as partial censorship). It was even banned in several countries!

Olle Hjortzberg, Poster for the Stockholm 1912 Olympics. Olympic games
Olle Hjortzberg, poster for the Stockholm 1912 Olympics. Inside the Games.

Which of these Olympic posters is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

Get your daily dose of art

Click and follow us on Google News to stay updated all the time

Recommended

Sport

Skiing in Art History

Artists have long captured the magic of snow. During the 19th century, when winter sports like skiing, skating, and sledding became more popular in...

Louisa Mahoney 31 January 2024

Sport

It’s Tokyo Olympics! The Greatest Moments in the History of Summer Olympic Games

It’s Tokyo Olympics! It’s time when the greatest athletes gather in one place and compete against one other. If transported to the...

Marina Kochetkova 23 July 2021

Sport

Ice Skating Artwork – A Visual Journey on Ice

Ice skating is a beloved winter activity and I’ve been an avid participant (all year round) since I was a little girl. As such, I really enjoy...

Alexandra Kiely 31 January 2024

Sport

Modern Sports Played in Ancient China

The history of Chinese sports can be traced back thousands of years, revealing many achievements, innovations, and surprises. While some sports may...

Marina Kochetkova 23 August 2023