Photo by Umberto Boccioni / Public Domain

One of the most wonderful things about art is that it can be used to convey any message, and can be created using influence from any subject on earth. Personal relationships, historical events, beautiful scenery, science, and books are regularly cited sources of inspiration by artists. As a source of artistic inspiration, sport is one of those topics that is often overlooked, but it can in fact provide it in many different ways. Examples include capturing the ecstasy of victory, documenting the lows of loss, and portraying the types of people involved in the sport. Here are some sports that have inspired pieces of art.

Horse Racing

Horse racing is a hugely popular sport in many parts of Europe and America, so it is no surprise that it has also inspired works of art. An example is a piece by James S. Hill from 1866, which features a horse called Dexter that is pulling a cart ridden by Budd Doble. This pair were one of the best and most spectacular racers of their time, entering more than 100 events. The painting is currently listed for sale by Decaso at a price of $11,000, with its condition described as excellent for its age.

Many paintings and other art that are valued at much lower prices are generally commissioned to celebrate a horse's victory in a particular race. There are many examples; even Ascot racecourse has its own gallery with paintings of famous horses and riders for sale. The Australian Caulfield Cup, a race that Verry Elleegant is currently favourite to win this year, has also inspired art, including a photograph of the jockey Rogilla.

Poker



Photo by Cassius Marcellus / Public Domain.

Poker has inspired many other things, such as films, music and even art. One of the most famous of these is a series of 18 paintings by Cassius Marcellus called "Dogs Playing Poker", most of which date back to 1903. Each of the paintings contain dogs that have been humanised to have some minor characteristics of people as they play games of poker. As well as the many themed slot games and traditional table and card games, some of the larger Las Vegas casinos also have their own art galleries, featuring casino and poker themed art, as well as art inspired by other things.

Tennis

Tennis was a relatively young sport when Sir John Lavery painted "A Rally". The painting shows a young woman in an incredibly impractical dress hitting a ball on a lawn tennis court. The characters in the painting reflect perfectly the typical dress of the Victorian period, and show how far tennis rackets have evolved in the 150 years since. The painting captures the power and energy of the young female player, whilst also showing her in a very feminine way.

Rugby

Housed in the Guggenheim Museum, "The Football Players" by Henri Rousseau is actually a painting of four rugby players, running in between some out of proportion trees. Rousseau painted the piece in 1908, the same year that the first ever international rugby game was played. The poses of the 4 players are very peculiar, none of which reflect a real life rugby game, instead looking more like a dance.

Cycling

In 1913, the Italian artist Umberto Boccioni produced the "Dynamism of a Cyclist" painting. It reflects the era of cycling, with bright colours and a demonstration of action through sweeping lines of motion, which makes it seem very exciting. The painting is a product of the "futurism" movement in Italy, which sought to develop technology, modern transport, and speed. The legendary Tour de France cycling race was 10 years old at the time of Boccioni’s work and bicycles had only been mainstream in Italy for a few years prior - making it a very exciting and intriguing sport to be featuring at the time.

Art can be inspired by anything, and this includes sport. It's possible to find artworks that have been inspired by practically every popular sport still played today.