Triumph from the skies: the Nike of Samothrace

In this video, art historians Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris discuss the remarkable ‘Nike of Samothrace’, a marble Hellenistic sculpture of the Greek goddess of victory, created around 190 B.C.E.

Since 1884, it has been prominently displayed in Paris’ Louvre museum, and is one of the most celebrated sculptures in the world. In fact, renowned art professor H. W. Janson once described it as “the greatest masterpiece of Hellenistic sculpture”.

Rendered in grey and white Thasian and Parian marble, the figure originally formed part of the Samothrace temple complex dedicated to the ‘Great gods’. It stood on a rostral pedestal of gray marble from Lartos, representing the prow of a ship, and captures the goddess as she descends from the skies to a triumphant fleet.

Before she lost her arms, which have never been recovered, Nike’s right arm is believed to have been raised, and cupped round her mouth to deliver the shout of victory.

The work is notable for its convincing rendering of a pose where violent motion and sudden stillness meet, for its graceful balance and for the compelling depiction of the figure’s draped garments, as if rippling in a strong sea breeze.

View the original video here.

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