Essay on Winged Victory: The Nike of Samothrace

The Winged Victory of Samothrace, also referred to as the Nike of Samothrace, is a marble Hellenistic sculpture of The Greek goddess of victory, Nike. Created in 190 BC by an unknown artist and constructed with parian marble, it stands at 5.57 meters although the goddess herself stands only at 2.75 meters. The sculpture was discovered in 1863 on the island of Samothrace on a French exploration led by amateur archaeologist Charles Champoiseau. In its original setting, the Nike was mounted on the prow of a stone ship in a temple, and was assumed to be overlooking the sanctuary of the great gods on the island of Samothrace. The sculpture has been displayed at the most distinguished museum in the world, the Louvre, in Paris, since 1884. Even in its current condition, this sculpture continues to inspire many across the globe with its vision of victory and triumph.

The ancient Greeks believed in a strong mind and a strong body. Their celebration of the physical beauty and ability of the human body can be seen in their sculpture, writings, and sporting events. The physical beauty of the human body is shown in the marble sculpture “Kraisos” (Benton and DiYanni 64). The sculpture shows a male with a defined muscular mid-section, broad shoulders, and thick legs. There is more detail and a more natural appearance in this sculpture compared to a similar statue from approximately 60 years earlier. The face of the sculpture is realistic and the left foot is forward, as seen in Egyptian sculpture. The art of thought was established by the philosophers of ancient

Greek culture is the source from which many of the characteristic elements of Western culture derive. Their explorations and innovations in art have both fascinated and inspired other civilizations for centuries. For this assignment I chose two Greek sculptures viewed at the Getty Museum. The first is Kouros circa 530 B.C. made of Dolomitic marble from Thasos and is approximately 200 cm (80 in) in height. The second is Cult Statue of a Goddess, (most likely Aphrodite) South Italy, 425 - 400 B.C. made of Limestone and marble. It stands at a height of 220 cm (86 5/8 in). There is some dispute to the authenticity of the Getty Kouros

The Winged Victory (Nike) of Samothrace is a powerful statue built by the Greeks around 190 BC. She was discovered on the Island of Samothrace in the northern Aegean. This statue stands at 10.76 feet which is very tall for a woman. She stood on the bow of a ship, poised and ready for action. The sculpture procures the strength and beauty of a woman. The pose, constitution, and her make up all contribute to the works powerful statement.

This statue seems to have been treated poorly and not with much care. It can be seen that it went through a lot causing such damage. However, because of its massive size, it was able to survive and still be in somewhat good condition. The body around the torso is relatively smooth and in tact with minor scratches. Her body itself was not as damaged but mostly around the edges of the statue were broken off. The texture seems to be of hard, rough limestone but it was smoothed out when being carved.

A low relief carving made in 410-407 BC, Nike Adjusting Her Sandal, was taken from a fragment of the parapet in the Temple of Athena Nike. As the goddess extends forward, her chiton slips from her body, and wings balance her stance. The covering lacks the pronunciation found in The Nike of Samothorace, as it drapes over her figure smoothly rather than extending texture. A direct reference to footwear and the importance of footwear can be extrapolated

The study of Greek sculpture is a complex relationship of Roman sculpture. And a large number of Roman sculpture, especially in the stone, survives more or less intact, it is often damaged or piecemeal; life-size bronze statues are much more rare, because as most have been recycled for their metal. The

The Torso of Aphrodite was constructed in the 1st century A.D. and is made entirely of marble. The torso used to belong to a life-sized version statue of The Greek goddess of love Aphrodite. From the moment I saw this piece, I knew I was attracted to it in a deeper way. It

The Statue of Asklepios is a classic Greek sculpture that portrays a person of the most perfect and athletic form. The piece is of a man standing beautifully while draped in a toga. The toga is draped over his left shoulder and cuts across to the right side of his body near his lower abdomen and then continues to cover his legs until his ankle. The toga also is draped over the pieces entire back. The piece is missing his head, his left arm and both his right foot and almost its entire right arm. The piece has a smooth, but not glossy, exterior in all of the areas except for the parts that have been broken off. Asklepios is portrayed as an incredible fit and beautiful being. The abdomen is extremely muscular and shows off the miraculous fitness of the model. The toga has many wrinkles, creating a lot of shadow and darks and lights. It also is wrapped in a way that is both loose and tight in different areas of the sculpture. It is tied right next to the left pectoral and the left armpit. This piece emphasizes the muscular body of this man while at the same time portraying him standing in such a nonchalant way through the curvature and relaxed look of the figure. And unlike the Torso of a God, this piece clearly shows movement through the shape of the body and the folds of the toga because

In the Iliad there are many characters that could be considered heroic. But the two main characters that stand out as heroes to me are swift-footed Achilles and flashing-helmet Hector. Numerous times throughout the epic they display qualities and traits that are unsurpassed by anyone on their side. Many times throughout the epic Achilles and Hector are tested for their strength, and will to win in battle, which for both warriors always ends up positive because they always win their battles. Although both fighters are among the elite status in the armies, they each show human and god-like qualities that help them be as a fierce and feared as possible.

It appears other minute details of the marble statue of Aphrodite have been damaged or lost, for example, the heat and base of her feet. Nonetheless, one can certify it is the statue of Aphrodite because of some of the figures that have been placed at her side. The characters beside the statue appear to represent icons commonly linked to Aphrodite. The dolphin symbolizes the birth of the goddess from the sea, and maybe that’s why people believed that she controlled animal fertility. Since the nose has broken off, it appears that the head is a mystery as to its finer and greater details.

Polykleitos' sculpture of Diadoumenos similarly relates to some of the most famous sculptors, like Praxitiles' statue of Hermes & Dionysos, in that they both display contrapposto, use struts for support and to make sure that none of the parts of the sculpture that they are balancing and supporting, dont fall off, since marble is very heavy and can easily break apart in bad weather or with physical contact.

When examining the statue, there is an old woman bent and weary. Her posture helps clue us in, with her age and the state of her health. The figure is dressed in cloth that drapes off her body as she carries a basket that is filled with what we may think are offerings. On her head, there are vines that create a band around the top of her head used to signify the festival that was going on during that time. The specific detail that is seen on this statue persuades us to want to know the story of this woman. Doing so, the process involves lots of research about the time and art. During the hellenistic period, artists begin to introduce more inner beauty than physical beauty. There is an opportunity to learn more about the structure itself, then settle for what is given and seen.

The topic I chose is the Winged Victory of Samothrace. The most famous monument of Samothrace- and one of the earliest discoveries- is the great Winged Victory of Samothrace, also called the Nike of Samothrace. It was discovered in April 1863 by a French expedition led by archaeologist Charles Champoiseau. The Victory stands about 8 feet tall by herself, but with the ship prow, the statue stands at a little over 18 feet tall. The Winged Victory of Samothrace is thought to have been created around 200-190 BC. The Victory is made from Parian marble and the ship pedestal is made from gray Lartos marble. For the ancient Greeks, the goddess Nike represented the personification of victory. In the case of this particular work of art, there are many

Mythology to society is just ancient past, but essentially it’s not. It’s thriving and very alive. Take a trip to your local mall and check the footwear department of any sporting store and there you’ll find the goddess. The name Nike characterizes the goddess who exemplified victory on the battlefield. In retrospect, if persons were asked the name Nike, Greek mythology is least expected to arise. The name Nike is now renowned as the most iconic brands around the globe. Though, not many people know the story it all began selling shoes from the trunk of a car. The crazy idea that emanated from Phil Knight that grew to become the global phenomenon today. This study will give insight into the creation, growth, and evolution of Nike.