Nike Of Samothrace
Material
Alabaster stone
Height
36 cm
The “Victory” of Samothrace. (Samothrace, an island in the North Aegean Sea)
For the Greeks, the goddess of Victory (Nike) was a beautiful young woman endowed with wings. This exceptional monument, raised upon the isle of Samothrace, set in a niche overlooking the sanctuary of the Great Gods, celebrates success at sea. The goddess stands on the prow of a galley, resisting the gusty storm, her right arm undoubtedly held high. It was an ex-voto of the Rhodians for a victory won at the beginning of the 2nd century BC the attitude and the animated draping prefigure the reliefs for the altar of Pergamum.Dated to 190 B.C., Musee de Louvre, Paris, France
For the Greeks, the goddess of Victory (Nike) was a beautiful young woman endowed with wings. This exceptional monument, raised upon the isle of Samothrace, set in a niche overlooking the sanctuary of the Great Gods, celebrates success at sea. The goddess stands on the prow of a galley, resisting the gusty storm, her right arm undoubtedly held high. It was an ex-voto of the Rhodians for a victory won at the beginning of the 2nd century BC the attitude and the animated draping prefigure the reliefs for the altar of Pergamum.Dated to 190 B.C., Musee de Louvre, Paris, France
