The Olympics – an exhibition

During the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, the Louvre will host an exhibition about the creation of the first modern Olympic Games. Visitors will learn how the Games started in the late 19th century, including the political background, the sources of inspiration, and how organizers aimed to recreate the ancient Greek sports competitions.

The exhibition will explain the beginnings of the world’s biggest sporting event, which was an idea by Pierre de Coubertin and some notable French and Greek figures. Swiss artist Émile Gilliéron, who trained in Paris and often visited the Louvre to copy its artworks, played a key role. He moved to Greece and became the official artist for the 1896 and 1906 Olympic Games in Athens, designing the winners’ trophies and creating materials like stamps and posters using the latest techniques of his time.

Thanks to a loan from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the Louvre will display the first Olympic Cup, known as “Bréal’s Cup,” designed by French academic Michel Bréal for the winner of the first marathon.

The exhibition will show how different fields like philology, history, art history, and archaeology came together to create the modern Olympic Games.

The Olympics – an exhibition

Location: Louvre
Dates: April 24 – September 16, 2024

More information: https://www.louvre.fr/en/exhibitions-and-events/exhibitions/olympism

If you purchase a ticket to the museum itself, you can also get access to the temporary exhibitions such as this one. The price for an adult is approximately €22.

Would you like to learn more about other events, festivals, exhibitions, concerts, and programs in Paris? Look at our Events calendar to find out more. And do not forget that you can read more about the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris right here.