The Winged Victory of Samothrace, also called the Nike of Samothrace, “the greatest masterpiece of Hellenistic sculpture” is soon to be restored. The Louvre Museum announced that a fund raising campaign has so far garnered 500,000 euro, that is the half of the needed amount to materialize the ambitious project.
A campaign to raise funds for the restoration of the Winged Victory of Samothrace, known as the Nike of Samothrace, has so far garnered 500,000 euros, the Louvre Museum in Paris has announced.
An international restoration commission comprised of French and international experts is in charged of the project which is expected to be completed by June next year. The celebrated 2nd century BC marble sculpture has been on display at the French museum since 1884.
The funding campaign, titled “Tous mecenes!,” started on September 3 and is scheduled to run to December 31 with the aim of raising one million euros from private donation. The total cost of the restoration project is estimated at 4 million euros. So far, private donations amount to some 4,000 people donating between 5 and 5,000 euros each.
The rest of the funding has been pledged by the following companies: Nippon Television Holdings, Fimalac and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
For those interested in contributing to the restoration project, visit www.tousmecenes.fr.
via ekathimerini
The Nike of Samothrace, discovered in 1863, is estimated to have been created around 200–190 BCE. It is 8 feet (2.44 meters) high. It was created to not only honor the goddess, Nike, but to honor a sea battle.
It conveys a sense of action and triumph as well as portraying artful flowing drapery through its features which the Greeks considered ideal beauty.
Rendered in white Parian marble, the figure originally formed part of the Samothrace temple complex dedicated to the Great gods, Megaloi Theoi. It stood on a rostral pedestal of gray marble from Lartos representing the prow of a ship and represents the goddess as she descends from the skies to the triumphant fleet.
Before she lost her arms, which have never been recovered, Nike’s right arm is believed to have been raised, 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 rendering of the figure’s draped garments, compellingly depicted as if rippling in a strong sea breeze
The sculpture is the product of an unknown sculptor. When first discovered on the island of Samothrace (in Northern Aegean sea, Greece) and published in 1863 it was suggested that the Victory was erected by the Macedonian general Demetrius I Poliorcetes after his naval victory at Cyprus between 295 and 289 BCE. (more information here)
