There were a few cease-fires during this time but peace would not stay.
Fighting began between the Jews and Arabs, which lasted into 1949. This lead to the creation of the Israeli state in 1948 but this was not a peaceful creation.Īlmost immediately Arab Palestinians were upset and did not recognize the UN resolution. At the end of 1947 the United Nations passed Resolution 181, which divided Palestine into Jewish and Arab states. The British, who occupied much of Palestine at the time, warned the United Nations and the United States of these actions, as it was sure to unsettle the region. This obviously came with much international concern as it drove conflict in the Palestine region. On President Harry Truman recognized the newly formed (that day) state of Israel. In 1948 the US played a role in helping create the new and independent state of Israel. Just like the United States helped Western Europe with the Marshall Plan, the United States also was helping out Israel. While the West was working through the rebuilding process after WWII, the Middle East was seeing changes as well. Gold Medal for Architectural Design: Adolf Hoch Gold Medal for Painting: Alfred Reginald Thomson The 1948 games was an end to Coubertin’s vision of artistic Olympic medalists.īelow are images of a couple of the gold medal works of art For these reasons, paired with a general lack of interest by spectators, the IOC removed the art portion of the Olympic games.
#London olympic 1948 professional
Professional athletes were also slowly being allowed to compete in the games but the IOC remained persistent that no professional artist could compete. As such, it was common that no medals were given in certain “events” each Olympic games. Because of this, it was quite often that the works of “art” were not up to par with what a medal earning artistic piece should be.
The IOC demanded that only amateurs compete in the art competition. This was because of some issues with this competition. It’s difficult to imagine earning a gold medal for a sculpture created by an amateur (no professionals could compete).Īfter 1948 however, the art competition changed to an art festival which still remains today. Each artistic peace had to relate to the spirit of the Olympic games and had to have been completed within the four years since the prior games. There were five separate events: music, literature, sculpture, painting, and architecture. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) founder, Pierre de Coubertin, wanted to bring together art with athletic events, which was achieved by the art events in the Olympics. From the very first “modern” Olympic games, the 1912 games, there were art competition events that the winners were awarded Olympic medals. In 1948 there was an interesting change in the world of art as it relates to the Olympic games.