EYE CANDY
Marvel at the Muscles in Sports Photography’s Best Pictures

Impeccably toned and outrageously skilled, athletes have always lent themselves — or at least their bodies — particularly well to the camera. The Brooklyn Museum’s new exhibition, “Who Shot Sports: A Photographic History, 1843 to the Present,” is a testament to the genre, from 19th-century tennis players to UFC fighters and, of course, Serena Williams, shot by industry giants like Bob Martin to artier heavy hitters like Andy Warhol and Herb Ritts. The photographers in Rio have a lot to live up to this summer.
1
Bob Martin, “Serena,” 2004, printed 2016.
2
Andy Warhol, “Pelé,” 1977.
3
Bob Martin, “Avi Torres of Spain sets off at the start of the 200m freestyle heats, Paralympic Games, Athens,” 2004, printed 2016.
4
Thomas Pelham Curtis, “American Olympic Team at the 1896 Athens Olympics,” 1896.
5
Joerg Mitter, “Levi Sherwood of New Zealand performs in front of the St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow’s Red Square, Russia,” 2010.
6
Georges Demeny, “Chronophotograph of an exercise on the horizontal bar,” 1906.
7
Ken Geiger, “Nigerian Relay Team, Olympics, Barcelona,” 1992.
8
David Burnett, “Olympic previews, Fort Lauderdale, Florida,” 1996.
9
Howard Schatz, “Boxing Study 1805 Sergio Martinez,” 2010.
10
Daniel Rodrigues, “Football in Guinea Bissau,” 2012.
11
Brian Finke, “Untitled (Cheerleading #81),” 2001.
12
Herb Ritts, “Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Point Dume,” 1987.
13
Franck Seguin, “Mixed Martial Arts Fight, UFC 154, Montreal, Canada,” 2012.
14
Lusha Nelson, “Joe Louis, Vanity Fair,” 1935.
15
Rainer Martini, “High Jump, Bavarian Track and Field Championships, Passau, Bavaria,” 2011.
16
Krystle Wright, “Freefall, Michael Tomchek leaps off Castleton Tower (400ft) as fellow BASE jumpers look on, Castle Valley, Utah,” 2010.
17
George Rodger, “The Wrestlers, Kordofan, Sudan,” 1949.
18
Lourdes Grobet, “Blue Sentado,” from the series “Lucha Libre,” circa 2005.
19
Gerard Rancinan, “Laura Flessel,” 2001.
20
David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson, “Mr. Laing or Laine,” 1843.
21
Mark Fisher, “Sage Cattabriga Alosa, Alaska, Extreme-Skiing,” 2010.
22
John Dominis, “American track and field athletes Tommie Smith (C) and John Carlos (R), first and third place winners in the 200 meter race, protest with the Black Power salute as they stand on the winner’s podium at the Summer Olympic games, Mexico City, Mexico, October 19, 1968. Australian silver medalist Peter Norman stands by,” 1968.
23
Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher, “Surma Donga Stick Fighters, Ethiopia,” 1990, printed 2016.
24
Lev Borodulin, “Girl Archer,” 1956.
25
Robert Riger, “The Golden Arm, Johnny Unitas,” 1958.