CONFÉRENCE - SAISIR LE MOUVEMENT : LE SPORT DANS L’ART (XIXE-XXIE SIÈCLES)

By Claire Paillé, head of the Musée barrois. Art and sport are often pitted against each other, the former being supposedly intellectual, the latter physical. And yet, from the earliest times, men have depicted themselves practicing physical activities: archery, skiing, athletics, sword-fighting? adorn caves, Greek vases and books of hours. But it was at the end of the 19th century, when sport as we know it today was developing, that artists made it a subject in its own right, reflecting the evolution of society. From descriptions of artistocrat leisure activities to futuristic decompositions and contemporary offbeat looks, how have painters, sculptors and photographers portrayed movement, effort and, more broadly, the values of sport? Just a few days before the Olympic Torch passes through Bar-le-Duc, let?s take a look at the representations of sport in art, from Impressionism to contemporary art.