Erica Mckinney

ArtH 2710
7:00-8:20
Fall

Winged Victory of Samothrace

(Wikipedia)
The Winged Victory of Samothrace, also called the Nike of Samothrace, is a 2nd-century BC
marble sculpture of the Greek goddess Nike (Victory). 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"(Wikipedia). It is believed that
she was created to not only honor the Goddess Nike, but also represented the victory of a sea
battle. She is used today as a symbol of victory on many trophies, given out for various reasons
like sports, contests and company awards. The most well-known trophy given out with the
Winged Victory of Samothrace is the Lasko award, given for science (Science Newsletter).

This sculpture is The Winged Victory of Samothrace, a sculpture created by Pythokritos of

Lindos, and made of two different kinds of marble. Nike herself is made of Parian Marble, and
the boat that the she stands on is made of Gray Lartos marble. This sculpture was created c. 200
190 BC, and discovered on the island of Samothrace in 1863. This piece is colossal in size,
standing 244 cm (96 in) and can be found at Louvre, Paris. The figure originally formed part of
the Samothrace temple complex dedicated to the Great gods, Megaloi Theoi. It stood on a rostral
pedestal of gray marble from Lartos representing the prow of a ship (most likely a trihemiolia),
and represents the goddess as she descends from the skies to the triumphant fleet. Before she lost
her arms, which have never been recovered, Nike's right arm is believed to have been raised,
cupped round her mouth to deliver the shout of Victory (Wikipedia). I fell in love with this
piece when I laid eyes on it in a photo. I wanted to learn everything about it, and know what its
symbolism and meaning is. It is a very beautiful sculpture.
It was discovered by Charles Champoiseau, French Vice-Consul to Adrianople (Turkey). The
goddess of Victory (Nike, in Greek) is shown in the form of a winged woman standing on the
prow of a ship, braced against the strong wind blowing through her garments. With her right
hand cupped around her mouth, she announced the event she was dedicated to commemorate.
The colossal work was placed in a rock niche that had been dug into a hill; it overlooked the
theater of the Sanctuary of the Great Gods. This niche may also have contained a pool filled with
water in which the ship appeared to float. Given its placement, the work was meant to be viewed
from the front left-hand side; this explains the disparity in sculpting technique, the right side of
the body being much less detailed. The highly theatrical presentation-combined with the
goddess's monumentality, wide wingspan, and the vigor of her forward-thrusting body-reinforces
the reality of the scene. ( Astier Marie-Bndicte)

A number of the best-known works of Greek sculpture belong to this period, including
Laocon and his Sons, Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace (Janson H.W.). The
Venus De Milo is a sculpture of a beautiful goddess Aphrodite. Their bodies are both rendered in
the curvature of a natural woman and standing in opposite stance of each other, with their chests
pushed forward. The Venus De Milo, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace are similar in the
fact that they are both goddesses and are from the Hellenistic period. Laocon and his sons are
similar to the two goddesses in the way that their bodies are sculpted with admirable beauty.
Hellenistic sculpture repeats the innovations of the "second classicism": perfect sculpture-in-theround, allowing the statue to be admired from all angles; study of draping and effects of
transparency of clothing; suppleness of poses. Thus, Venus de Milo, even while echoing a classic
model, is distinguished by the twist of her hips. One seeks, above all, expressability and
atmosphere. This search is particularly flagrant in the portraits: more than the precision of the
traits represented, the artist seeks to represent the character of his/her subject. In the great
statuary, the artist explores themes such as suffering, sleep or old age (Wikipedia).
The original place where this statue stood was The Sanctuary of the Great Gods on Samothrace.
In Samothrace where the original Nike stood is now a replica and the original statue can be seen
in Louvre, Paris.
This sculpture was restored in 2013 and stands at the head of the Daru Staircase. It is currently
one of the most treasured pieces in the Louvre, and there are many replicas that stand in various
places here in the U.S. The statue carries the symbolic meaning of victory and has represented
for quite some time now. In Samothrace where the original Nike stood is now a replica and the
original statue can be seen in Louvre Paris. This sculpture holds a lot of meaning, beauty and
history. We are very lucky to be able able to enjoy such a work of art today.

Works Cited:
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace#Notes_and_references
Janson, H.W. (1995) History of Art. 5th edn. Revised and expanded by Anthony F. Janson. London: Thames &
Hudson, pp. 157-158.

Astier Marie-Bndicte: http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/winged-victorysamothrace

Hew Official Named Lasker Award Winner. Hew Official Named Lasker Award Winner.
The Science News-Letter 78.10 (1960): 152152. Web...