Painting at the 1948 Summer Olympics

There were three painting events in the 1948 Arts Competition – Graphic Arts, Paintings, and Applied Arts. Drawings and Water Colors had been held in 1928, 1932, and 1936 but now drawings were included in the Graphic Arts and water colors in the Paintings event. There were about 270 works submitted from 19 nations. Full sets of medals were awarded in Graphic Arts and Painting, but in Applied Arts Alex Walter Diggelmann received the only medals – a silver and bronze, uniquely in Olympic Arts Competition as the only time one artist received two medals in the same event. Diggelmann had won the gold medal in Applied Arts at 1936 Berlin, making him one of only two artists to win three Olympic medals.