Nike of Samothrace with the prow pedestal

myminifactory

This is a replica of the Winged Victory (Nike of Samothrace) with her pedestal at the prow. The statue of Nike was integral in counter-balancing the unsupported thrust of the prow, preventing it from collapsing. This monument showcases engineering expertise coupled with artistic mastery. The sculpture depicts the moment when Nike, goddess of victory, lands on the prow. Her right foot has just touched down while the rest of her is still airborne. The swirling drapery behind her conceals the bulk of the figure resting on the central block inside the prow. Nike's right hand extends in a gesture of greeting. Unfortunately, her left arm and hand are unknown as nothing of the left shoulder survived. A reconstruction based on 19th-century restorers' best guess was necessary to attach the left wing. The right wing is a mirror copy of the left since little of it remained intact. The head was never discovered. In recent restoration efforts, the entire monument was disassembled and scanned in depth for the first time. Each component was carefully cleaned. The statue was thoroughly examined, scanned, and cleaned. The overall appearance of the monument transformed from a mustard brown color to its original material colors: grey Rhodian marble for the prow and Paros white marble for the statue. Some small fragments stored away were finally found to fit into areas and attached. The left wing gained an extra feather. The grey prow was reassembled, then had scanned copies of remaining fragments in Samothrace added. A filler was applied between blocks to harmonize everything and create a more complete appearance. Upon closer inspection, the infill added is noticeable due to its slightly different coloration from the original material. A new pedestal was constructed, and the entire monument was reconstructed atop it to protect it from visitors leaning or sitting on it. The goddess was restored to her original position on the deck of the prow. Before restoration, a concrete block had been placed inside the prow to raise her visibility, but at the cost of the intended composition. Today, the Nike of Samothrace and her pedestal are once again one of the highlights of the Louvre, looking better than ever since her initial display.