Greek sculpture classic Victory statue

This work was discovered in 1863 on the island of Samothrace in the northern Aegean Sea. The statue lacks a head and arms (only one arm was found in 1950). The work is an alabaster sculpture. The author is unknown and the creation time is unknown. Most people believe that it was created around 200 BC. It was the ruler of Asia Minor Demetrios I to commemorate his defeat of the fleet of the Ptolemy Kingdom in the naval battle. And creative. Existing in the Louvre, France.

The goddess of victory, Nike, is the embodiment of victory. Her Roman name is Victoria Victoria (Victoria). The image is of a muscular woman with a pair of wings. According to Hesiod’s "The Book of Gods", she is the daughter of the Titan gods Pallas and Styx, as well as Kratos (strength), Bia (strength), and Zelos (zealous). ) Sisters, they are all companions of the main god Zeus.

"Statue of Victory" is also known as "Statue of Samothraceniki". The author has no way to verify. The statue was originally placed on a rock cliff by the sea of Samothrace. The legend was established to commemorate King Dmitry's victory over the Egyptian Ptolemaic fleet in 306 BC; some people have also verified that it was a work in the 2nd century BC, and it was a monument erected by the people of Rhode Island to defeat the Syrian fleet in 190 BC. When this sculpture was discovered, it was a pile of rubble. After restoration, it stood up again, but it still lacks the head and arms (only one arm was found in 1950).

The whole sculpture leans forward, and the dynamic structure is elegant and calm, and you can feel the dynamic of fluttering wings from any angle. The superb realism skills reflect the artistic purpose of the Hellenistic period, and the texture of the wings and feathers is in sharp contrast with the texture of the body. The clothes' patterns are smooth and elegant, fluttering in the wind, bold and refined. The perfect fit between the clothes pattern and the dynamic structure of the body is the artist's mastery of this period. The depiction of the body is still a typical idealized proportion, strong and plump, graceful posture, and the wavy lines of the legs and wings form an obtuse triangle, which strengthens the forward momentum. The base of this sculpture is designed to be the bow of a warship, which seems to be leading the fleet through the wind and waves. This statue was originally a pure white alabaster sculpture. Due to the long-term immersion in the Aegean Sea, the proliferation of microorganisms and the erosion of seawater, the existing statue presents the current historical vicissitudes of color.

After more than two thousand years of vicissitudes, the incomplete Goddess of Victory is still spreading its wings in the wind. The development of sculpture art is an important artistic achievement during the Hellenistic period. This statue is one of the few classic surviving original works of this period.