Allan D’Arcangelo - Olympische Spiele München 1972 - 1970s

Allan D’Arcangelo – Olympische Spiele München 1972 Poster / Olympics Munich 1972 – Swimmer – Original Vintage Art Print

Original poster from the celebrated artist poster series commissioned for the 1972 Summer Olympic Games in Munich, Germany.

Published by Edition Olympia 1972 GmbH and printed in Germany. Printed on heavy paper, approx. (102 × 64 cm).

This work was designed by renowned American artist Allan D’Arcangelo as part of the Munich 1972 Olympic art programme, in which internationally recognised contemporary artists were invited to create works exploring the relationship between sport, culture, and modern visual art.

D’Arcangelo is best known for his bold, graphic visual language rooted in American minimalism and pop-inflected hard-edge painting. His Olympic contribution reflects this aesthetic through a highly stylised interpretation of athletic movement, focusing on clarity, geometry, and visual impact.

The composition presents a swimmer in motion, reduced to strong shapes and simplified forms, emphasising direction, structure, and rhythm rather than realistic depiction. In line with the broader Munich 1972 design philosophy, the work transforms sport into a universal visual language, using abstraction to convey energy and movement.

The Munich 1972 Olympic poster series is widely regarded as one of the most important collaborations between contemporary art and international sporting culture, bringing together leading artists of the period in a unified visual programme.

I acquired this poster together with several others from the same Olympic series, along with a collection of German art books, from a painting restorer in The Hague who was clearing out her studio upon retirement. The objects had previously belonged to her German mother.

Condition: the poster shows signs of age and use, including creases and small tears (see photographs). Conservation or professional paper restoration is possible if desired.