Artwork of the day

Nike of Samothrace, c 180 BC. Marble, Musée du Louvre, Paris

 

Nike of Samothrace is without a doubt one of the most recognizable works of antiquity. It comes from the Hellenistic period and displays all the characteristics of the style. Monumental, theatrical, the statue seems to escape all boundaries, gives the spectator a sense of constant movement which is further enhanced by the different treatment of the stone in the various parts of the statue. It has multiple viewpoints, all of equal importance and invites the spectator to investigate all of them.

Nike, who is represented standing on the front part of a ship was a dedication –most probably by the inhabitants of Rhodes after a naval victory- to the Sanctuary of the Great Gods on Samothrace (a Greek island in the Aegean).

Artwork of the day

This ivory figure of a hunchback dates from the 1st century BC. It probably comes from Egypt and is today in the British Museum from the site of which I borrow the picture.
It is a perfect example of the way hellenistic art treated the human body and face departing from the idealization of the Classical period and adopting a more realistic approach.
It is worth trying to find this figure if you visit the British museum. It is in room 22!