Are you tired of Olympic glory? Among the tumult of superhuman performances and broken records, this mischievous showdown from the Maison de Balzac offers a refreshing break. As Balzac did in literature, Honoré Daumier focused his acerbic caricaturist eye on the entire society of his time, without forgetting... Parisian athletes! The result: around thirty 19th century engravings representing exploits far removed from the performances of today's athletes. From the clumsy swimmers of the Seine to the ridiculous horsemen of the Champs-Elysées, including the (laborious) beginnings of stick combat sports, no one is spared the engraver's fine humor.

Did you know?During the first foot races, in the mid-19th century, the new athletes wore...the jockey outfit: large bright shirt, tight knee breeches, white stockings and patent pumps ! They even held a riding crop in their hands to whip their thighs and give each other enthusiasm!