Caravaggio, The Taking of Christ, 1602

Caravaggio, The Taking of Christ, 1602
Tenebrism

Friday, September 19, 2014

The Statue of Nike


The statue of Nike was created during Hellenistic Greece, which occurred from approximately 200 BCE – 190 BCE. The parien marble sculpture was made during the reign of Alexander the Great. 
This head is the part of the 8 foot statue of Nike and it is known as the Head of Victory. I went to Greece two years ago and I saw this bust outside the acropolis museum in Athens. This specific figurine is a copy of Nike that was created by Paionios during the 5th century B.C.
It was not only made to honor the goddess, but also to commemorate a sea battle. The mesmerizing goddess Nike would land on the ship of the triumphant victor. Along, with the body, the face is very gentle and simple. It shows how even though war was gruesome and harsh, winning was beautiful. The winner’s legacy would live on for ages and stories of the war would be passed on for generations.

            In the full statue of Nike, the drapery has rythmos, adding a dramatic effect to the statue and making Nike look like she was flying off the edge of the ship.  Also, the Nike swish comes from the body of this statue, relating the company to the goddess Nike.

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