Paris 1924: Sport, Art and the Body

Interesting online lecture from ARTscapades introducing an exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum on the 1924 Paris Olympics.

The co-curator Caroline Vout from the University of Leiden led us through the main themes of the show and some of the highlight exhibits.

She showed us how the show started by setting the scene of what Paris was like 100 years ago and how it hosted the games. She then looked at some of the personalities o the games including the runners made famous by Chariots of Fire some of whom were students at the University of Cambridge giving local interest.

Next she talked about how the games reflected modernity but also drew on classical themes particular around the presentation of ideal bodies in a period after the destruction of the First World War.

I had wanted to see the show but ran out of time so this talk was the next best thing and gave a good sense of what it was about.

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