Athena is a British art retailer and retail chain, which was founded in 1964. Today it sells fine art prints from a variety of UK artists. However it is best known for its iconic posters such as L'Enfant (a picture of a muscular man cradling a baby), The Lord of the Rings from 1976 by Jimmy Cauty,[1] the Tennis Girl poster from 1976[2] and "Beyond City Limits", published in the 1990s.[3][4] The company's popular success divided opinion amongst intellectuals and art critics who were uncertain as to whether these works were too vulgar and populist to be considered art.[5]
Athena's first shop was opened by Ole Christensen in Hampstead, London, in July 1964, and then bought by E&O which expanded Athena to 60 shops, making sure to keep the ethos on fine art reprints.