Victory of Samothrace

STATUE OF NIKE-VICTORY

HANDMADE OF ALABASTER,PAINTED IN MUSEUM PATINA.

The Winged Victory of Samothrace, also called the Nike of Samothrace, is a marble Hellenistic sculpture of Nike (the Greek goddess of victory).  That was created in about the 2nd century BC. Since 1884, it has been prominently displayed at the Louvre and is one of the most celebrated sculptures in the world.   H. W. Janson described it as “the greatest masterpiece of Hellenistic sculpture”.

The sculpture is one of a small number of major Hellenistic statues surviving in the original, rather than Roman copies. Only Winged Victory‘s right wing is not original, and was added by mirroring the left wing.

Description

The statue is 244 centimetres (8.01 ft) high. It was created not only to honour the goddess, Nike, but probably also to commemorate a naval action. It conveys a sense of action and triumph as well as portraying artful flowing drapery. As though the goddess were descending to alight upon the prow of a ship.

Assessment, reception and influence