Art competitions at the 1948 Summer Olympics
Encyclopedia
Art competitions were held as part of the 1948 Summer Olympics
in London
, Great Britain
. Medals were awarded in five categories (architecture
, literature
, music
, painting
, and sculpture
), for works inspired by sport-related themes.
The art exhibition was held at the Victoria and Albert Museum
from 15 July to 14 August, and displayed works of art from 27 different countries. The literature competition attracted 44 entries, and the music competition had 36 entries.
The art competitions included multiple subcategories for each of the five artistic categories. The judges declined to award any medals for dramatic works in literature, and no gold medals in another five subcategories. Alex Diggelmann
of Switzerland
won both a silver medal and a bronze medal for two different entries in the applied arts and crafts subcategory, a feat unlikely to be duplicated in any event in the current Olympic program
.
These would be the final Games in which art competitions were held, after being in the official program for all Games since 1912.
At a meeting of the International Olympic Committee
in 1949, it was decided to hold art exhibitions instead, as it was judged illogical to permit professionals to compete in the art competitions but only amateurs were permitted to compete in sporting events. Since 1952, a non-competitive art and cultural festival has been associated with each Games.
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Great Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Medals were awarded in five categories (architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, and sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
), for works inspired by sport-related themes.
The art exhibition was held at the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
from 15 July to 14 August, and displayed works of art from 27 different countries. The literature competition attracted 44 entries, and the music competition had 36 entries.
The art competitions included multiple subcategories for each of the five artistic categories. The judges declined to award any medals for dramatic works in literature, and no gold medals in another five subcategories. Alex Diggelmann
Alex Diggelmann
Alex Werner Diggelmann was a Swiss artist who won three medals in the Olympic Games.He won a gold medal in 1936 for a poster entitled Arosa I Placard, and a bronze one and a silver one in 1948 for two commercial posters, the "World Championship for Cycling Poster" and the "World Championship for...
of Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
won both a silver medal and a bronze medal for two different entries in the applied arts and crafts subcategory, a feat unlikely to be duplicated in any event in the current Olympic program
Olympic sports
Olympic sports, as defined by the International Olympic Committee, are all the sports contested in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. The Summer Olympics, as of 2012, will include 26 sports, with two additionall sports due to be added in 2016...
.
These would be the final Games in which art competitions were held, after being in the official program for all Games since 1912.
At a meeting of the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
in 1949, it was decided to hold art exhibitions instead, as it was judged illogical to permit professionals to compete in the art competitions but only amateurs were permitted to compete in sporting events. Since 1952, a non-competitive art and cultural festival has been associated with each Games.
Architecture
| Architectural design | "Skisprungschanze auf dem Kobenzl" |
"Watersports Centre in Carinthia" |
"Baths and Sporting Hall for Gothenburg Valhalla Swimming Hall Valhalla Swimming Hall is a swimming hall located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Valhalla was officially opened on December 6, 1956, by Gothenburg's municipal commissioner Torsten Henriksson.... " |
| Town planning | "The Centre of Athletics in Varkaus, Finland" |
"Swiss Federal Sports and Gymnastics Training Centre" |
"The Athletic Centre in Kemi, Finland" |
Literature
| Lyric works | "Laurel of Hellas" |
"Six Poems" |
"Rythme du Stade" |
| Dramatic works | none awarded | none awarded | none awarded |
| Epic works | "La Grotta" |
"The Olympic Champion" |
"The Well of Youth" |
Music
| Vocal | none awarded | none awarded | "Inno Olimpionico" |
| Instrumental and chamber | none awarded | "Divertimenti for Solo Flute and Strings" |
"Toccata per Pianoforte" |
| Choral and orchestral | "Olympic Symphony" |
"Karhunpyynti" |
"Viguer" |
Painting and graphic art
| Oils and water colours | "London Amateur Championships" |
"Le Pistard" |
"Meath Hunt Point-to-Point Races" |
| Engavings and etchings | "Swimming Pool" |
"Polo Players" |
"Seaside Sport" |
| Applied arts and crafts | none awarded | "World Championship for Cycling Poster" |
"World Championship for Ice Hockey Poster" |
Sculpture
| Statues | "Homage to Ling" |
"The Stag" |
"Nageuse" |
| Reliefs | none awarded | none awarded | "The End of the Covert" |
| Medals and plaques | none awarded | "Eight Sports Plaques" |
"Prize Rowing Trophy" |
Medal table
At the time, medals were awarded to these artists, but art competitions are no longer regarded as official Olympic events by the International Olympic Committee. These events do not appear in the IOC medal database, and these totals are not included in the IOC's medal table for the 1948 Games.| 1 |  Finland |
2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 |  Austria |
1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
 United Kingdom |
1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
| 4 |  Italy |
1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 5 |  France |
1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 6 |  Sweden |
1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 |  Poland |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 |  Switzerland |
0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 9 |  Denmark |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 South Africa |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 11 |  Canada |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 |  Hungary |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Republic of Ireland |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 8 | 11 | 13 | 32 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|