1530 - 1535
London 1948 Olympic Poster
3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum
- Title:
- London 1948 Olympic Poster
- Illustrator:
- Walter Herz
- Printer:
- McCorquodale and Company Limited
- Production place:
- United Kingdom
- Date:
- 1948
- Period:
- 20th century CE
- Title:
- London 1948 Olympic Poster
- Illustrator:
- Walter Herz
- Printer:
- McCorquodale and Company Limited
- Production place:
- United Kingdom
- Date:
- 1948
- Period:
- 20th century CE
- Material:
- Paper, Textile
- Technique:
- Printing
- Dimensions:
- 100 × 61 cm
The London 1948 Olympic Games were the first after Berlin 1936 and the devastating World War II. An atmosphere of economic severity was apparent at the Games and also reflected in the poster design.
The composition incorporates elements present in the emblem of London 1948. A view of the Palace of Westminster and the Big Ben tower, two of the most famous landmarks of the city, dominate the background, combined with the Olympic rings.
The element that Walter Herz (1909-1965), the designer of the poster, added was the statue of Discobolus, a sculpture of a young athlete ready to throw the discus. The marble statues of Discoboli are usually Roman copies of the Greek original of the 5th century BCE, and Herz used as a model a version exhibited in the British Museum.
