Nike of Samothrace

Nike of Samothrace (or the Winged Victory of Samothrace) was sculpted sometime between 220 and 190BC by an unknown sculptor. The sculpture depicts the Greek goddess of Victory, Nike, as she lands on a naval ship after a victory at battle. Her dress clings to her body as she leans into the wind that she flew in on. The base that she stands on is the prow (back) of the ship and is an original part of the sculpture. It was found in pieces and put back together before it was shipped to the Louvre in Paris.

Like the Venus de Milo, which you read about yesterday, Nike of Samothrace was discovered on an island in the Aegean Sea. A French archaeologist found the sculpture on Samothrace (thus the name) in 1863. Her arms and head were (and still are) missing and the right wing is a reproduction based on the left wing.
Despite the condition of the sculpture, Nike of Samothrace stands grandly upon the ship on the landing of a prominent staircase in the Louvre. She continues to attract hordes of visitors and to stun even those who didn’t expect to see her.

Unfortunately that’s it for today. I’m taking a graduate school entrance exam early in the morning so I must get some sleep. Wish me luck!

EDITED TO ADD: I forgot to add the pictures last night! Luckily, blogs can be edited. Also, the test went extremely well. I am 99% sure I passed. (I only scores for two of three section and they're unofficial scores. I don't want to jinx myself!) I'll keep you updated.

Return to main page.
_________________________________________
Current NaNoEdMo Hour Count: 5.25/50 hours