Paris 2024 Olympics: Painter recreates breathtaking scene at Eiffel Tower Arena

He may not be Claude Monet or Georges Seurat, but Peter Spens’ artwork is attracting just as much attention from his perch atop the Eiffel Tower Stadium at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

The 63-year-old from London, Great Britain has been hard at work painting the spectacular beach volleyball venue, which includes an envious view of the Eiffel Tower and the surrounding parts of Paris.

“I have to take every opportunity to work,” explained Spens, who plans to spend 14 hours a day at the venue. “I have to look, look, look.”

When he’s not distracted by the fierce competition on the sand below, he spends his time on the minute details of the breathtaking venue.

In fact, capturing the essence of this once-in-a-lifetime setting for beach volleyball has been the biggest challenge according to Spens.

“You can buy a flashing Eiffel Tower for one euro, in a way it’s the most obvious symbol of Paris, so the struggle I have is to see the significance of it in paint,” said the British artist.

Thankfully, this isn’t his first rodeo, nor is it his first Olympic beach volleyball tournament.

A trilogy of beach volleyball landscapes

Spens first ventured into the world of Olympic fine art during London 2012.

Then, he was commissioned by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) to create a unique set of landscapes, accessing nearby rooftops and backstage platforms to capture the unorthodox scene unfolding at the historic Horse Guards Parade.

His artwork proved to be a ‘smashing success’, as the British would say, paving the way for his next endeavor into Olympic fine art: painting beach volleyball at Copacabana Beach.

Working day and night, Spens painstakingly recreated the temporary arena erected for Rio 2016. His artwork popped with the bright colours of Brazil, and exploded with the energy of the fans.

It was another triumph for the British artist - and one that would be rewarded with a third call to duty at Paris 2024.

“It made a lot of sense to do a trilogy, to create an eternity painting,” stated Fabio Azevedo, general director of the FIVB. “I am working in this sport for 34 years and I have never, ever seen a venue like this.

“Copacabana was magical. Horse Guards Parade was magical. This is simply phenomenal.”

Spens will do his utmost to capture the stunning beauty of the Eiffel Tower Arena, but it won’t be easy to impress a city filled with fine art.

Luckily for Spens, there will be no critics judging his artwork. Unlike the artistic competitions held during the Olympic Games Paris 1924.

A painting worthy of gold medal

Art competitions were once an integral part of the Olympic Games. They were held from Stockholm 1912 to London 1948. Hundreds of artists submitted works and contended for medals.

Paris 1924 featured five events: architecture, literature, music, sculpting and painting.

Competitions were held at the Grand Palais, long before it was the stunning stage for fencing at Paris 2024.

Luxembourg’s Jean Jacoby won the gold medal in painting for a three-part work focusing on football and rugby, while Ireland’s Jack Yeats took home a silver medal for his work titled ‘Swimming’.

Spens will not have to compete against other artists at Paris 2024, but he still feels the pressure to create something truly remarkable.

“It’s game on,” noted the talented artist. “But as with the Olympics, sometimes you win and sometimes you don’t. I just have to keep working.”

While his art won’t be eligible for a gold medal, it will be distributed with them. Each beach volleyball medallist at Paris 2024 will receive a signed print of his work to go along with their gold, silver or bronze medal.

A souvenir worthy of being hung in the Louvre.