Sports posters: tennis, rugby and cycling
Sport has its golden age of posters too. Tennis, soccer, rugby, cycling, golf or motor sports: a classic for an office, a hallway or a living room.
Key points
- 173 posters in the Sports posters collection, the 20 from this article in the table below.
- From $21.00 in A4, up to $74.00 in A0, 5 sizes for each poster.
- Printed in the United States on demand, free delivery from $69.
The table
The 20 posters at a glance
Sports have always been a poster favorite
Like travel or advertising, sports are one of the recurring subjects of classic posters, with players and competitions drawn in the graphic style of their era. The collection goes well beyond tennis, rugby and cycling: soccer, basketball, golf, swimming, climbing and motor sports all have their place too.
Tennis, an Art Deco style that keeps coming back
The tennis posters in the catalog largely draw on the lines and colors of 1920s and 1930s Art Deco: a player in full action, racket raised, championship typography.
Soccer, basketball and golf: ball games
Soccer comes in a landscape-format scene of a player striking the ball in a stadium, and in a player in a striped jersey heading the ball. Basketball features a player in mid-jump toward the hoop, in bright colors. Golf takes its inspiration from the British and American golf club posters of the 1930s, built around a player in full swing.
Rugby, cycling and bike racing
Rugby appears mostly through match scenes or players in action, with the same bold graphic style. Cycling shows up in city rides and landscapes crossed by bicycle, but also in a more athletic vein: the climb of Mont Ventoux, a yellow jersey in the style of the Tour de France.
Speed and motor racing: Grand Prix and motocross
Alongside the garage and road scenes of the car and motorcycle posters, the sports collection offers a competitive side: automobile Grand Prix racing of the 1930s and 1950s (Monaco in particular) and motocross championships.
Swimming, climbing and the outdoors
A diving board and pool in 1930s Art Deco style, a mountaineer mid-ascent or a climber on a rock face round out the collection, with a sportier feel than a purely decorative one.
Where to hang a sports poster
The home office and the hallway remain the most natural spots for this kind of poster. In a living room, it fits in if the rest of the decor keeps a restrained palette, letting the poster carry the color.
Related reading
Table tennis, alongside tennis
2 table tennis posters, a match under an immense illuminated glass roof in front of the crowd and a nighttime ping-pong game under a streetlamp on a Paris square, open up a sport distinct from the tennis described above: night and spectacle scenes, for a more playful register than the Art Deco of the tennis court.
Skateboarding, the urban culture of the 1970s and 1980s
The Skate for Life poster shows a skater in mid-jump above a bowl, under a palm tree and a pink sky: the urban culture and skate spirit of the 1970s and 1980s, a more rebellious register than the Art Deco advertising scenes already presented.
Basque pelota, a regional sport apart
2 posters show Basque pelota: a player in white with a red sash, pala raised, in front of the pink wall of a village with red shutters, and a chistera player in front of a Basque fronton. An atmosphere absent from the other sports already mentioned in this article.
Build this wall
3 posters from this article, at true scale
All 3 posters: $106.00
Frequently asked questions
You often ask us
Is a sports poster suitable for a living room?
Yes, if the rest of the room keeps muted tones: the poster then becomes the touch of color and character on the wall.
Can you mix several sports on the same wall?
Yes, as long as you keep a consistent style, for example all Art Deco posters, rather than a consistent sport.
Does the collection include sports other than tennis, rugby and cycling?
Yes: soccer, basketball, golf, swimming, climbing and motor sports (Grand Prix, motocross) complete the collection.
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