20 Works From the Short-Lived Olympic Art Competitions

In the early 1990s, art was an Olympic sport.

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Complex Original

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The Winter Olympic Games kicked off last week in Sochi, Russia. Between snowboarding, luge, and more, athletes will be competing with gear and style that looks a lot different from that of centuries past. But one thing that we'll likely never see again is the visual and lyrical art that was once part of the competition. Yes, you read that right. In the early 20th century, art was actually an Olympic sport.

In 1906, French baron and founder of the International Olympic Committee, Pierre de Coubertin, thought it might be interesting to integrate arts and culture into the Olympic Games. From 1912 to 1948, participants from all over the globe entered their works in the following categories: literature, architecture, music, painting, and sculpture.

Athletes who also dabbled in art were given a chance to win medals in other events. Rumor has it Baron de Coubertin himself even entered the Games under a pseudonym in 1912. While some of the artists that participated, such as Jack Butler Yeats and Paul Landowski, went on to see success in their careers, many faded into oblivion after their Olympic wins.

We've dug up a collection of pieces from the lost Olympic art competitions. Between livestreaming Nordic skiing and catching Shaun White on the big screen, check out these fascinating 20 Works from the Short-Lived Olympic Art Competitions.

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Carlo Pellegrini, Winter Sports

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Walter Winans, An American Trotter

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Henriette Brossin de Polanska, L'Elan

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Simon Goossens, Les Patineurs (Skaters)

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Alfred Ost, De Voetballer

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Paul Landowski, The Fallen Boxer

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Johan van Hell, Schaatsenrijders (Skaters)

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Jack Butler Yeats, The Liffey Swim

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Dezsö Lauber and Alfréd Hajós, Plan of stadium

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Jean Jacoby, Rugby

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Miltiades Manno, Wrestling

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Mahonri Mackintosh Young, Knockout

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Ruth Miller, Struggle

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Lee Blair, Rodeo

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Alex Diggelmann, Arosa

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Rudolf Hermann Eisenmenger, Läufer vor dem Ziel (Runners at the Finishing Line)

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Farpi Vignoli, Guidatore di Sulky

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Emil Sutor, Hürdenläufer (Hurdle runners)

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Rosamund Fletcher, The End of the Covert

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Alfred Reginald Thomson, The London Amateur Boxing Championship Held at the Royal Albert Hall

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