Jeux Olympiques Mexico 1968

This original gouache was created in 1968 in connection with the Olympic Games held in Mexico City. Unlike a printed poster, it is a unique hand-painted work presenting a symbolic encounter between the ancient origins of the Games and the culture of their Mexican host nation.

Two monumental figures appear in profile, facing one another across the composition. The pale figure on the left recalls an ancient Greek sculpture, while the figure on the right is represented with dark hair, a white headband and warm earth-coloured skin, evoking Mexico’s Indigenous heritage.

Their outstretched hands meet beneath the Olympic rings and support a brightly coloured flame. This central emblem unites the two figures, suggesting continuity between the Games of classical antiquity and the modern international Olympic movement.

The artist combines a vivid turquoise background with ochre, deep red, white and brilliant orange. The contrasting figures, stylised facial features and symmetrical arrangement give the composition both a ceremonial quality and the decorative strength associated with late-1960s graphic design.

An evocative document connected with the first Olympic Games held in Latin America, this original gouache would make a distinctive addition to a collection devoted to Olympic history, Mexico, sporting art or unique twentieth-century works on paper.

Gouache

Sport - Olympic Games - Mexico

Good condition, folds, slight losses