Hellenistic Sculpture

Nike of Samothrace
Ancient Greek marble sculpture of winged Victory (h. c. 2 m; Paris, Louvre). It may have
been made by a pupil or follower of Lysippos or Skopas and was perhaps commissioned by
Demetrios I of Macedonia between 295 and 287 bc, or it may date to c. 200 bc. It was
discovered in 1863 on the island of Samothrace during a series of excavations conducted
by Charles Champoiseau. The statue was taken to Paris, where it underwent restoration to
replace the wings and parts of the drapery, which were found in fragments. It was first
exhibited at the Musée du Louvre in the Salle des Caryatides. In 1866 another campaign of
excavations was organized on the island, but this proved fruitless. Champoiseau himself
returned to Samothrace in 1879 and found the fragments of a rostrate prow, which had
served as the pedestal of the statue. The fragments were sent to Paris, and in 1884 the
Nike, raised on the prow, was placed with great scenographic effect at the head of the
Escalier Daru, where it can still be admired. Although a later work, it has been compared to
the sculptures of the Parthenon. Much of its fame is due to its suggestive placement, which
brings out its dramatic qualities; these are perhaps emphasized by the absence of the arms
and head. Many hypotheses have been advanced concerning the position of the arms and
the objects originally held by the statue. It used to be supposed that the figure held a
trumpet or a laurel crown in the right hand. In 1950 new excavations produced fragments of
the right hand, and in the same year the thumb and part of the index finger of the same
hand were identified among some pieces found at Samothrace in 1873 and 1875 by the
Austrians and taken to the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. These finds suggest that
the Nike was holding nothing at all in her hand, or at most a fluttering metal fillet between
the thumb and index finger. (Grove Art Online)