"EXPOSITION UNIVERSELLE DE 1900", "SUR LA SIENE - LES PALAIS DES NATIONS". Artist signed, "G. Garen". Scene of row boats, ferries and cruise ships traveling along the scenic Siene in front of the Palace of Nations. Flags of each nation flap in the wind. Row of nations, from left to right, include "1. ITALIE, 2. TURQUIE, 3. ETATS-UNIS D'AMERIQUE, 4. AUTRICHE, 5. BOSNIE HERZEGOVINE, 6. HONGRIE, 7. ANGLETERRE, 8. BELGIQUE, 9. NORWEGE, 10. ALLEMAGNE, 11. ESPAGNE, 12. MONACO, 13. FINLANDE, 14. SUEDE, 15. GRECE, 16. ROUMANIE, 17. SERBIE." New giltwood frame and protective front. Ready to hang. 30"W x 25"H. During the summer or 1900, Paris was home to two events that captured the world's attention, The World Exhibition (which this print depicts) and the second modern Olypic games. Pierre, baron de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics and president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), lost control of his hometown Games to the French government. The Games suffered from poor organization and marketing, with events conducted over a period of five months in venues that often were inadequate. The track-and-field events were held in a grass field that was uneven and often wet. Broken telephone poles were used to make hurdles, and hammer throwers occasionally found their efforts stuck in a tree. The swimming events were contested in the Seine River, whose strong current carried athletes to unrealistically fast times. There was such confusion about schedules that few spectators or journalists made it to the events. Officials and athletes often were unaware that they were participating in the Olympics. Nevertheless, the Games were attended by 19 nations, represented by at least 1,066 athletes. There was an infusion of new events, some of which were later discontinued (e.g., golf, rugby, cricket, and croquet). Archery, football (soccer), rowing, and equestrian events were among those introduced at the 1900 Games. Women, competing in lawn tennis and golf, participated in the Olympics for the first time. Despite the problems of the Paris Games, the quality of athletic performance improved. Athletes from the United States, led by jumper Ray Ewry and sprinter Alvin Kraenzlein, again dominated the track-and-field competition. American athletes won 17 of the 23 track-and-field events, while French athletes earned a total of 102 medals, by far the most for any nation at the 1900 Games.

Art (paintings, prints, frames)
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