In conjunction with the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, the Louvre presents an exhibition dedicated to the creation of the first modern Olympic Games. Visitors will learn how the Olympic Games were born at the end of the 19th century: the political and cultural context of the time, the sources of its iconography, and how organizers tried to recreate the sporting competitions of ancient Greece.

The exhibition reveals the origins of what is now the world's largest and most watched sporting event. It was the brainchild of Pierre de Coubertin and some French and Greek celebrities, who were later joined by the Swiss painter Émile Gillilon (1850-1924). Thanks to a special loan from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), the Louvre will present the first Olympic trophy, the "Breuil Trophy", designed by French scholar Michel Brauer and made by French silversmiths for the winners of the first marathon. As part of the cultural activities program accompanying the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the exhibition will show how scientific disciplines such as linguistics, history, art history and archaeology have come together to create this global sporting event.