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Winged Victory of Samothrace

(Redirected from Nike of Samothrace)
The Winged Victory of Samothrace
The Winged Victory of Samothrace

The Winged Victory of Samothrace, also called Nike of Samothrace, is a marble sculpture of the Greek goddess Nike (Victory), discovered in 1863 on the island of Samothrace (Greek Samothraki) by the French consul and amateur archaeologist Charles Champoiseau . The statue is now displayed in the Louvre in Paris. In Greek it is called the Niki tis Samothrakis (Νίκη της Σαμοθράκης) and in French La Victoire de Samothrace. Numerous copies exist in museums and galleries around the world.

The Victory is considered one of the great surviving masterpieces of Greek sculpture from the Hellenistic period, despite the fact that the figure is significantly damaged, missing its head and outstretched arms. By an unknown artist (presumably Rhodian in origin), the sculpture is thought to date from the period 220 BC - 190 BC (though some scholars date it as early as 250 BC or as late as 180 BC). Certainly, the parallels with figures and drapery from the Pergamon Altar (dated about 170 BC) seem strong. A partial inscription on the base of the statue includes the word "Rhodhios" (Rhodes), indicating that the statue was commissioned to celebrate a naval victory by Rhodes, at that time the most powerful maritime state in the Aegean. The Samothrace Archaeological Museum , however, says that the statue was an offering donated by the Macedonian general Demetrius I Poliorcetes after his naval victory at Cyprus. This would date the statue to 288 BC at the latest.

The statue stands on the prow of a ship, and probably served as part of an outdoor altar, representing the goddess as she descended from the skies to the triumphant fleet. Rendered in white Parian marble , the larger than life-sized figure (height 3.28 metres or 10.7 feet), including the wings) originally formed part of the Sanctuary of the Gods. Before losing her arms the Nike was probably blowing a victory paean on a trumpet. In 1950 one of the statue's hands was found on Samothrace and is now in a glass case in the Louvre next to the podium on which the statue stands. The statue shows a mastery of form and movement which has impressed critics and artists since its discovery - the Nike of Samothrace is particularly admired for its naturalistic pose and rendering of the figure's draped garments, depicted as if rippling in a strong sea breeze.

The Victory is one of the Louvre's great treasures, and it is today displayed in the most dramatic fashion, at the head of the sweeping Daru Staircase. The loss of the head and arms, while regrettable in a sense, is held by many to enhance the statue's depiction of the supernatural.

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Last updated: 10-24-2004 05:10:45