Lecture: The Athlete in Art through the Ages: From Myron’s Discobolus to Eakins’s Rowers
In ancient Greek civilization, Olympians embodied the ideals of physical strength and moral virtue, and
therefore served as the perfect subject for sculptors to capture, both in marble and in bronze. This lecture will
explore artists’ fascination with the subject of sport from antiquity up to the present day, focusing on key
examples in American art, including Thomas Eakins’s rowing and boxing series and Eadweard Muybridge’s
photographic studies of the body in motion. This lecture by Kelley Tialiou, Charles H. Sawyer Curatorial Assistant
at the Addison Gallery of American Art, is organized in conjunction with Memorial Hall Library’s Andover Reads
program. Meet at Memorial Hall Library, Andover.
