The Winged Victory of Samothrace Rediscovering a Masterpiece from March 5, 2015 to November 9, 2015

The striking figure of one of the Louvre’s most famous pieces was unveiled anew in July 2014 after nearly a year of conservation treatment.

This monumental statue of the winged goddess of victory (also known as the Nike of Samothrace), standing in the prow of a ship set on a low plinth, was offered to the great gods of Samothrace following a naval victory. It was discovered in 1863 by Charles Champoiseau in a temple on the island of Samothrace in the northern Aegean Sea. The monument was dispatched to the Louvre, where it has since experienced various stages of conservation.

“The Winged Victory of Samothrace: Rediscovering a Masterpiece” begins with a return to its place of origin, the Sanctuary of the Great Gods on Samothrace. From 1863 to the present, successive excavations by French, Austrian, and American teams—some of whose discoveries are highlighted here—have dotted the long path of experts’ attempts to understand the complexity of the creative process behind the artwork. Old photographs and plaster casts document the main stages of the statue’s conservation and display in the Louvre in 1866, 1883, and 1934.

The fourth conservation treatment, which has just been completed, has revealed the splendid colors of the marble and provided new insight into the way the statue was conceived and presented.

Organized by:

Marianne Hamiaux, Musée du Louvre, and Ludovic Laugier, INP, Paris