Nike (Winged Victory) of Samothrace, c. 190 B.C.E., Gray Lartos marble (boat), Parian marble (statue), 328 cm high (Louvre Museum, Paris). A conversation with Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris.
Me too. I think its placement also contributes to its effect, especially since you're first seeing her from the bottom of the stairs. It is magnificent.
Absolutely my favourite statue of all times! Thank you for discussing the way she stands so tall. I hope to see her someday in real and appreciate her powerful stance.
Watching videos like this is always so heartbreaking. So much has been taken from the Greeks who’ve dealt with so many hardships throughout the centuries. So many valuable and priceless artifacts removed and looted over the centuries.
Oh, my goodness. Perhaps the British should return the Rosetta Stone to its original location as well. Maybe every single artifact and piece of art throughout the entirety of the world should be returned to its particular hole in the ground whence it came. Things happen. Stuff is removed and taken elsewhere. If the statue was found today and carted off to another country's museum, I'd agree it should be returned. But the Nike was found in 1863. It's a little late to talk about "repatriation." The nation of Greece as it is know today is hardly the same as the "Greece" of 150 years ago, let alone over 2,000 years ago. Also, the island of Samothrace was not part of Greece at the time of its discovery. It was ruled by the Turks. Shouldn't Turkey have a greater claim to the statue?
@@lanceash Oh my goodness.. shut the hell up 🥵 We say this about any relic that has been taken away from foreigners that have never ruled over the place they took the artifact away from. The British, French, ... have stolen a lot and try to thrive off the history of these places. It was only really possible to create a Greek state with the help of those same British, French, German etc. Philhellenes. People who try to claim the history as theirs by depicting Greeks as nordic people and also completely abolishing the fact that we have interacted with Persians, Phonecians, etc. and have eastern influences still in today's culture, as much as we did 2000 years ago. And yet, a large part of the Greek mainland and the islands has only managed to become a part of the Greek state with the fall of the ottoman empire. These same philhellenes don't care at all about us modern Greeks. If it wasn't for these people who were stuck in the past, who knows what would have happened to us.
@lanceash because you find something that is not yours, is no justification for taking possession and claiming ownership; if so, its value has lost something tragically.
Exquisite! A timely tribute to the eternal freedom of the spirit even during the censored times we live in (Lack of freedom to travel and lack of freedom of speech).
I am just in the midst of working on a 3D model to share online later and came across this. Talk about inspiration and timing. Excellent episode, as always. Thanks Smarthistory!
I live in an old castle and we have a replica of this statue in our inner backyard. Always loved this statue but never knew who it was. I read a book about Greek mythology not to long ago and after got into different gods a little bit and when I heard about Nike I almost instantly loved her. A few minutes ago I was looking out of the window at the statue and wondering who it was based on. I’d known before but when I googled it I was so happy to find out it was her.
I can only imagine how idyllic and even more stunning this must have looked in its original naturalistic setting. It would have been a real eye catcher for many including those compelled to do it harm. This time we were fortunate not to have to rely on a Roman copy of which I imagine there were a few. The sensual quality of the piece is clearly evident in the way that the fabric, wet with sea spray as the ship's bow plows through a stormy sea, clings to the body. If the sculptor had been even more capable of defying gravity there would be shimmering droplets streaming down as they trail away from the edges of her windblown drapery.
I went to Paris on Sept. 2019 and went to the Louvre but didn't go in. I told myself I had to go back to see the Mona Lisa so I went back to Paris in March of 2020. Spent over five hours in the Louvre. That place is huge. Hope to go a third time one day.
Their feet are missing but the mounting sugests that the victory is landing on the ship and one of their feet is just begining stepping on the ship. to me that detail makes it even better.
In Polish modernist poetry it was beautiful piece of poem by Zbigniew Herbert about she's Nike presence called: "Nike, która się wacha" ("The indifference of Nike").
This is the first time I've heard of an art piece in collaboration with nature (i.e. wind direction being part of the illusion). It's a cool technique. I wonder how many more examples like this exist today.
There are Italian renaissance paintings the take account of the direction of the sunlight that enters a church and that replicate that direction in the depiction of light in the pictorial space.
@@smarthistory-art-history 🥰 I love this channel so much, lol. Thank you! That sounds amazing and I'll be on the lookout for this technique as I watch your videos on the Italian renaissance.
Victory is flying fast (this is what the robes seem to tell) either for communicating a victory that has been acomplish or for brining victory to Greeks. The feeling of flight (of exposure to wind) is superb
Although I'm a follower of your videos and I really appreciate the work you do, I believe that, firstly; 'winged victory' is not the correct translation of Nike of Samothrace.. and secondly; the way you pronouncing 'Nike'... people will think that the ancient Hellenic people borrow the name from the synonymous American tennis sues company. We should pronouncing it as NIKKI, NOT NIKE I think!!! Η Φτερωτή Νίκη τής Σαμοθράκης Or, Η "Νίκη" τής Σαμοθράκης ...because it was stolen from the northern island of Samothrace.. Sorry guys..
Thank you for reaching out and for your kind words about Smarthistory. Nike of Samothrace is the most common title for the sculpture in English and Winged Victory is the translated title used by the Musée du Louvre. The shoe company Nike was of course named for the goddess adding millions of running and jumping feet to her legacy.
in a way it's a tragedy that Nike has become seperated from her cult, her cliffs in Samothrace, her story...and taken to a museum in a different country. weird cultural imperialism that goes on in history
