Nike of Samothrace, Hellenistic
Factual Information:
From: Samothrace, Greece
Period: 190 BCE
Period: 190 BCE
General Information:
This large statue of a woman with wings was created to honor the goddess Nike, and a sea battle which the Nike commemorates. This Hellenistic sculpture has sustained significant damage and incompleteness. Its missing its arms as well as a head, but despite these it is considered on of the great surviving masterpieces of sculpture from the Hellenistic period. The artist conveys a mastery in his representation of form through the use of movement and the flowing of the cloths around the statue.
Why This Artwork?
This artwork was chosen because of its representation of exaggeration. This was common in the Hellenistic period as the Greeks sought after this exaggeration of emotion movement, and other features that could be represented. This offers a glimpse into the culture of the Greeks at the time of these statues.