Winged Victory of Samothrace |
The Winged Victory of Samothrace is the name given in English to a marble sculpture of the Greek
goddess Nike (Victory), discovered in 1863 on the island of Samothrace (Greek Samothraki) amongst
excavations initiated by the French consul and amateur archaeologist Charles Champoiseau. Having
been dispatched immediately to Paris upon its discovery, the magnificent stutue is now
displayed in the Musée du Louvre (acquisition number MA 2369). In Greek it is called the Niki tis Samothrakis (Νίκη
της Σαμοθράκης) and in French La Victoire de Samothrace. There exist numerous copies in museums and galleries
worldwide.
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, sadly 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
circa 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, sculpted in grey marble from Latros. This
probably served as part of an outdoor altar, constituted an ex-voto dedication in gratitide for victory and was intended to
represent the goddess personifying 'Victory' 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, including the wings) originally formed part of the Sanctuary of the Gods on the island of
Samothrace. Before losing her arms the Nike had probably been depicted 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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