The inclusion of artistic competitions in the modern Olympic Games, initiated by Pierre de Coubertin, was a unique aspect of the event from 1912 to 1948. Known as the "pentathlon of the Muses," this segment awarded medals in five categories—architecture, literature, music, painting, and sculpture—for works inspired by sports. However, these competitions were discontinued in 1954 as the rise of professional artists conflicted with the Olympic rule requiring athletes to remain amateurs.
Brief History of the Olympics
The modern Olympic Games, revived in the late 19th century by French historian Pierre de Coubertin, aimed to foster international unity and physical excellence, contrasting the historical use of sport for military training. In 1894, the creation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) set the stage for the first modern Olympics in Athens in 1896, emphasizing fair play, amateurism, and the unifying power of sport. Coubertin also sought to integrate cultural and artistic achievements into the Olympics, introducing the "pentathlon of the muses" at the 1912 Stockholm Games, with categories in architecture, literature, music, painting, and sculpture. Although these artistic competitions initially faced logistical and financial challenges, they gained prominence over the years, with notable entries and increasing participation, including works from 23 countries at the 1924 Paris Olympics and over 1,150 submissions in Amsterdam in 1928. However, the professional status of many artists eventually led to their discontinuation after the 1948 London Games, as they conflicted with the Olympic ideals of amateurism. The arts were later replaced by non-competitive cultural exhibitions as per the Olympic Charter. Today, the Olympic Games have expanded to include diverse sports, celebrating both athletic and cultural achievements and continuing Coubertin's vision of a harmonious blend of physical and intellectual pursuits.
Art Competition
From 1912 to 1948, the Olympic Games included a unique set of competitions celebrating artistic achievements. These events required all submitted works to be original and sport-themed, mirroring the athletic events by awarding gold, silver, and bronze medals. However, not all categories received medals in every competition; in some cases, no prizes were awarded at all. Artists were generally permitted to submit multiple entries, with occasional limits on the maximum number. This flexibility allowed some artists to win multiple awards in a single competition. Although there were discussions about including additional art forms such as dance, film, photography, and theatre, these were never implemented as medal events. However, breakdancing is set to make its debut in the Paris 2024 Olympics, reflecting the evolving nature of art and sport.
Architecture: The architectural competition was an intriguing aspect of the Olympic art contests. Initially, there was no division within the category, but by the 1928 Amsterdam Games, a town planning subcategory was introduced. Despite these distinctions, the criteria were not always strictly adhered to, leading to some designs being awarded in multiple categories. One notable example is the 1928 gold medal awarded to Jan Wils for his design of the Olympic Stadium, which was used during the same Games. Interestingly, unlike other categories, architectural entries could have been published before the Olympics.
The 1928 Olympic Stadium, designed by Jan Wils, won the gold medal in architecture, The Netherlands. Taken from the Dutch Wikipedia.
Literature: The literature competitions varied significantly in their structure. Until 1924, and again in 1932, there was a single literature category. In 1928, the competition expanded to include separate categories for dramatic, epic, and lyric literature. This categorization persisted until the final art competitions in 1948, although the drama category was dropped in 1936. Works submitted for these competitions were limited to 20,000 words and could be in any language, provided they included English or French translations or summaries, as per the varying rules over the years.
Music: Initially, music was a single category event until 1936, when it was divided into orchestral music, instrumental music, and both solo and choral music. By 1948, these categories had been adjusted to choral/orchestral, instrumental/chamber, and vocal music. Judging these pieces proved challenging, as the entries were submitted on paper, leading to some competitions awarding only a few prizes or none at all, such as in the 1924 and 1936 music categories. The 1936 Games were the only instance where the winning musical works were performed live before an audience. The Czech composer Josef Suk is the most prominent musician to have competed, winning a silver medal in 1932.
Painting: The painting competition initially had a single category until 1928, when it expanded into three: drawings, graphic arts, and paintings. These categories evolved in subsequent Olympics, with variations such as paintings, prints, and watercolors/drawings in 1932, and applied arts and crafts, engravings/etchings, and oils/watercolors in 1948. Luxembourg artist Jean Jacoby is notable for being the only artist to win two gold medals, achieving this with his works "Étude de Sport" in 1924 and "Rugby" in 1928.
Sculpture: The sculpture competition followed a similar pattern, beginning with a single category and expanding in 1928 to separate competitions for statues and reliefs and medals. By 1936, these were further divided, with reliefs and medals becoming distinct categories.
While many Olympic art medalists achieved at least national recognition, few became widely known. Luxembourg's Jean Jacoby, the most successful Olympic artist, and Swiss artist Alex Diggelmann, who won three medals, are notable exceptions. Another distinguished figure is Josef Petersen of Denmark, who won silver medals in three different Olympics (1924, 1932, and 1948). Two individuals, Walter W. Winans and Alfréd Hajós, stand out for winning Olympic medals in both sport and art. Winans, an American marksman, won a gold medal in shooting at the 1908 Games and later earned a gold medal for his sculpture An American Trotter in 1912. Hajós, a Hungarian swimmer, won two gold medals in 1896 and a silver medal in architecture in 1924. Prominent IOC figures also participated in these competitions. Pierre de Coubertin, under the pseudonym "Georges Hohrod and Martin Eschbach," won a gold medal in 1912 for his "Ode to Sport." Avery Brundage, future IOC president, entered literary works in 1932 and 1936, receiving an honorary mention in 1932. Britain's John Copley, winner of a silver medal in the 1948 engravings and etchings competition at 73 years old, became the oldest Olympic medalist in history. His record surpasses that of Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn, the oldest non-artistic Olympic medalist, who won his last medal at 72.
From 1912 to 1948, the medal distribution across countries in the Olympic art competitions varied significantly: Germany led with 24 medals, followed by France with 13, and Italy with 14. Other notable contributors included Austria (9), Belgium (8), and Switzerland (7). Countries like Denmark and Hungary each won 9 and 4 medals respectively, while smaller nations like Luxembourg and Monaco earned 3 and 1 medal respectively. Some nations such as Canada, Japan, and South Africa had minimal representation with only 2 or 1 medal each.
Alfréd Hajós - the First Olympic Champion in swimming. Taken from the Official Report of the 1896 Olympic Games. Public Domain by age.
The inclusion of artistic competitions in the Olympic Games, introduced by Pierre de Coubertin, represented a distinctive facet of the event from 1912 to 1948. Known as the "pentathlon of the Muses," these competitions awarded medals in five categories—architecture, literature, music, painting, and sculpture—for works inspired by sports. Despite the initial enthusiasm, the art competitions faced challenges, such as conflicts with the Olympic principle of amateurism, leading to their discontinuation in 1954. While the artistic events showcased remarkable talent and creativity, their elimination marked a shift towards focusing solely on athletic achievements. Today, the Olympic spirit of integrating cultural and artistic elements persists through various cultural programs, reflecting Coubertin's original vision of harmonizing physical and intellectual excellence.
Selena Mattei