 |
One sheet The subject depicted in this poster is the famous bronze statue of legendary Finnish long-distance runner Paavo Nurmi, nicknamed the "Flying Finn".
The original sculpture was created by artist Wäinö Aaltonen in 1924 to honor Nurmi's historic performance at the Paris Olympics. This specific poster illustration was designed by Ilmari Sysimetsä for the 1940 XII Olympic Games scheduled for Helsinki.
Though the 1940 Games were ultimately canceled due to the outbreak of World War II, the iconic artwork was archived and later reused with minor alterations as the official poster for the 1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics.
Features of the Artwork
• The Figure: Shows the celebrated bronze statue of Nurmi striding forcefully across the globe.
• The Globe: Accents the location of Finland highlighted in red to mark the host country on the world stage.
• Historical Significance: This Finnish-language version reads "Olympiakisat Helsingissä" and serves as a rare historical artifact from a "ghost" Olympic games that never took place. |
|
|
