Art Competitions

Art contests were held at the Olympics of 1912, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, and 1948. The winners of the competitions were awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals, similar to the winners of the athletic competitions. The events were inspired by Pierre de Coubertin, who wished to combine the competitions in sports with competitions in the arts.

The art competitions were dropped from the Olympic Program because most of the artists were professionals, which the International Olympic Committee (IOC) opposed. Competitions were held in Architecture (Architectural Designs, Designs for Town Planning, Further Entries), Literature (Dramatic Works, Epic Works, Lyric Works), Music (Compositions for Orchestra, Compositions for Solo or Chorus, Instrumental and Chamber, Vocals), Painting (Applied Arts, Drawings and Water Colors, Graphic Arts, Paintings), and Sculpturing (Medals, Medals and Plaques, Medals and Reliefs, Reliefs, Statues).

Two artists won three medals – Alex Walter Diggelmann of Switzerland (all in applied graphics) and Josef Petersen of Denmark (one in epic works and two in literature – all kinds). Jean Jacoby of Luxembourg was the only artist to win two gold medals in the art competitions; one in Drawings and Water-Colors and one in Paintings. In 1912, de Coubertin won a gold medal in the literature category. Coubertin’s gold medal was for his work entitled “Ode to Sport” which he entered under the dual pseudonym of Georg Hohrod and Martin Eschbach.

Two arts medallists also won medals in sports at the Olympic Games. Alfred Hajós of Hungary won two swimming gold medals in 1896 and a medal for designs for town planning in 1924; and Walter Winans won running deer shooting medals in 1908 and 1912 and also won an arts gold medal in sculpture in 1912.