Exhibited Louvre, Paris, ca. 190 B.C.
Opinion: The Nike of Samothrace is an incredible piece. It almost seems to be in movement- flying into the wind. At first I lamented the lack of a head, but then I realized the piece itself is more powerful because it has no face. With no facial humanizing features, the Nike of Samothrace is an all-powerful goddess who is very much alive.
Theory: The Nike of Samothrace is from is from the Hellenistic period of Ancient Greece. Nike has just landed on a warships prow- her wings are spread as the winds sweep her drapery. The theatricality of the statue was originally amplified by its being displayed in a two-tiered fountain. The statue’s reflection was shown in the water and the sound added to the drama. Characteristic of the Hellenistic was the rejection of the ideal self-contained statue on a pedestol. “The Hellenistic statues interact with their environment and appear s living, breathing, and intensely emotive human (or divine) presences" (Gardner, Page 154).
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