Seven runners

Hans Erni1990

The Olympic Museum
Lausanne, Switzerland

Seven runners, one with the Olympic fire, are painted in black on a red background, a reference to the painting of Greek ancient vases. The white outlined figures superposed on glass represent the crowning of an athlete.

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Details

Title: Seven runners
Creator Lifespan: 21 February 1909
Creator Nationality: Swiss
Creator Gender: Male
Creator Birth Place: Lucerne, Switzerland
Date Created: 1990
Location Created: Switzerland
Physical Dimensions: w565 x h330 cm (Complete)
Painter: Hans Erni
Description: Signed: Erni on the right bottom.
Artistic school or movement: After an apprenticeship as a surveyor and draftsman (1924-1927), Hans Erni attended the Lucerne school of arts and crafts in 1927 and 1928. He then spent two years in Paris at the Académie Julian, where he was awarded a first prize in art competition and spent one year at the “Staatliche Hochschule für Kunst” in Berlin. Returning to Paris in 1930, he met several contemporary artists, and was deeply impressed by Picasso and Braque and their work. During his travels to Belgium, Italy and London, he discovered the abstract movement and takes part in the creation of the “Abstraction-Création” association in 1937 and was to co-founder of the “Allianz” group in Zurich. Erni created a wide range of different works of art such as paintings, frescos, wall rugs, mosaics, posters, lithographs, ceramics, book illustrations, medals and stamps. His oeuvre showed use of a wide range of artistic techniques with a preference for the lithograph. After his abstract work with the avant-garde, he turned to a more figurative painting. Hans Erni’s art combined science, mythology and sport in a unique style recognisable due to his typical characters surrounded by white outlines. The sport representations are strongly influenced by Ancient Greek nude anatomy. The Olympic Games deeply touched the artist’s vision and for him: “Paavo Nurmi was the reincarnation of the mythic Milo of Crotone”. The “Hans Erni Foundation” and the “Hans Erni Museum” were established in Lucerne during the late 70’s. In 1992, the artist received the first Olympic Medal of Arts awarded by the IOC from the hands of Mr. Samaranch. Hans Erni produced several pieces for the Olympic Museum such as the “Olympic Series” in 1983. In 1999, The Olympic Museum organized the exhibition “Sport Passion entirely dedicated to his art.
Type: Paintings
Rights: International Olympic Committee, 2003, ©IOC
Medium: Lithography and painting on glass

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Hans Erni Contemporary art Glass Mythology Running Switzerland