Commissioned by the FIVB, British artist Peter Spens is on a mission to capture the Eiffel Tower Stadium on canvas
14 hours a day at the venue to create his masterpiece of the most magical venue on Earth
Paris 2024 will mark the trilogy of iconic beach volleyball venue paintings for Spens, who was also commissioned to capture London 2012 – Horse Guards Parade, and Rio 2016 – Copacabana Beach
Every day, atop the stands of the magical Eiffel Tower Stadium, Peter Spens sits hard at work on his masterpiece that will complete a trilogy of magnificent Olympic beach volleyball venues.
This one, however, is perhaps the most special of them all as the Eiffel Tower looms over the canvas and keeps a watchful eye on the action on the sand and non-stop party below.
The FIVB first commissioned the now 63-year-old Spens to capture the stunning London 2012 venue, which offered spectacular views in the heart of London.
“I have to take every opportunity to work,” explained Spens. “I have to look, look, look. 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.”
While millions of photos are snapped over the course of an Olympic Games, a painting offers a unique perspective. Two weeks of competition captured in one image. It’s an artistic impression of a time-lapse, with Spens spending around 14 hours a day at the venue.
FIVB General Director Fabio Azevedo stated: “It made a lot of sense to do a trilogy, to create an eternity painting. I {have been} 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.”
