On the Beauty of the Winged Victory of Samothrace at the Louvre Museum

[Paris and Georgia Travelogue: A Journey to Learn About Dostoevsky and Tolstoy] (10) Enchanted by the Charm of the Winged Victory of Samothrace

In the previous article"A Maniac's Guide to Enjoying the Louvre: Savoring Claude Lorrain, Whom Dostoevsky Also Loved!", I talked about meeting Poussin and Claude Lorrain at the Louvre Museum.

And this time, I would like to talk about the Louvre's treasure, the "Winged Victory of Samothrace."

You will encounter this work quite soon after entering the sculpture area. Moreover, it is displayed in a very prominent location that you are certain to pass through when heading toward the painting area where the "Mona Lisa" and others are located, so you should not miss it.

Embarrassingly, I knew almost nothing about this work before coming to the Louvre. As I mentioned a little in the previous article, I had not been very interested in this sculpture or the Louvre itself.

But standing before this statue, I froze.

It was difficult to see the details in the photo above, but what about this photo? Isn't it obvious how delicately this sculpture is crafted?

I especially want you to focus on the abdominal area. Can you see the garment, which is almost as thin as a single layer of skin, covering the body? I could only be astonished by the texture, which looks almost translucent. The folds of the garment are also graceful and supple, and a pleasure to behold. I could no longer take my eyes off the Winged Victory.

Now, this "Winged Victory of Samothrace" is a sculpture discovered on the island of Samothrace in the Aegean Sea in 1863, and "Nike" is a word that means "goddess."

And this Nike is thought to have been created around 190 BC during the Hellenistic period.

Hellenism was a cosmopolitan civilization with a background of pursuing universal beauty. The golden age of ancient Greek civilization was more than 300 years before Nike. Since ancient Greek civilization sought "Greek religiosity," its essence was "Greek and religious things" rather than "universal beauty" (of course, the quality of Greek art is still outstanding).

In contrast, because Hellenism was a civilization that spread throughout the Mediterranean world, it needed something that would appeal to various people, not just one region or religion. That is why it came to pursue an overwhelming beauty that everyone would feel is beautiful.

Still, it is beautiful...

It captures an exquisite moment that looks as if it is about to start moving at any second. Can't you feel the wind blowing from the front, or even the flow of air created by its own movement? And because the upper body is leaning slightly forward, you can also feel the forward momentum. In addition, with both wings extending backward, the center of gravity is placed at an exquisite point where it could not be anywhere else.

How beautiful is the right foot, lightly and gently placed on the ship from the toes, and the left foot stretched out straight? I have no more words. I can only gaze at it in admiration. I like this Nike from this angle the best. It feels the most dynamic, and its grace shines the brightest.

Look at the lightness of this garment. Look at its suppleness as it clings to the legs. Can you believe this is made of stone? Am I witnessing the pinnacle of sculpture, something that has crossed the limit?

If you compare it with this sculpture, the difference should be clear, shouldn't it? This was in the hall before reaching Nike. This is also an ancient Greek sculpture, said to have been created between 500 and 30 BC. In other words, the production date is a mystery, to the point where we don't even know if it is Greek or Hellenistic.

Honestly, I like this work too. No, I like it quite a lot. It has magnificent proportions, and the beauty of the garment matches the pattern of the marble, making it very beautiful. The twist of the body is also exquisite.

However! What if you compare it with Nike!

Isn't it obvious how much more delicately and gracefully Nike is carved? And I thought once again. No matter how beautiful the clothing of other sculptures may look, it is still stone. But Nike does not look like stone; it looks as if it is truly wearing a garment. It has transcended stone.

This was also in the same hall, and I think the modeling of the drapery folds and the sense of movement are of a very high standard. Honestly, I can only marvel at it. It means that such transcendent technique was already being carved into many works from the Ancient Greek to the Hellenistic stage.

However! What if we compare it to the Winged Victory?

The Winged Victory deliberately restrains that transcendent technique. The person who created this sculpture could have flaunted that transcendent technique as much as they wanted if they had chosen to. But they did not. They kept that transcendent technique to a minimum, and yet they perfectly struck that one point where it would have the greatest impact. Why didn't they cover the whole body in rippling folds? Isn't that where the technique would be shown off? No, for them, the terrifying transparency of a single thin layer of skin on the abdomen was enough.

The minimum is the maximum. By deliberately restraining the transcendent technique, it is brought to life to the fullest extent. This was the first time I had ever been so moved by "restraint" in art. I was taken aback as I watched it. It was as if my breath had stopped for a while.

When you actually see it up close, this magnificent sculpture enters your vision in three dimensions. In photographs, it is inevitably flat. The difference is enormous. The Winged Victory I saw on-site was perfect. It is so perfect that it makes you sigh. Watching this statue makes you forget your fatigue. I could not move from in front of this statue for a while.

For my part, I would even suggest that you spend more time here than on the "Mona Lisa." As I mentioned briefly in my previous article, the "Mona Lisa" is, as you would expect, the height of congestion. Just when you think you've caught a glimpse of it, you are forced to retreat by the pressure from behind. You cannot expect to appreciate it thoroughly.

However, this Winged Victory is different. In fact, even though it is also a face of the Louvre, the nature of the congestion is completely different.

As you can see from this photo, there are certainly many people there.

But most of them leave as soon as they finish taking commemorative photos. The long lines and the pressure from behind that you find at the "Mona Lisa" do not exist here.

As I did, everyone heads for the "Mona Lisa" when they think of the Louvre. This statue is on the way there. That is precisely why everyone moves on quickly without spending much time here.

In other words, this Winged Victory statue is almost completely overlooked. Even if people know about it, they just end up saying, "Oh, this is it. Let's take a picture."

Therefore, even though there is a flow of people around the Winged Victory, it can be said that it has no effect on viewing it. In fact, I stayed in front of this statue for a while and was able to enjoy this sculpture thoroughly with almost no stress.

In particular, the position where I am taking the photo is on a landing slightly up the stairs, so it is very easy to see, and people taking commemorative photos rarely come here. And it is a wonderful spot where you can see the Winged Victory from the best angle.

In this photo, it is the space to the upper right.

It is almost impossible to see something of this caliber with such little stress.

To use an analogy, it is like being able to see the Ashura statue from the Kofukuji Temple exhibition held in Tokyo without any lines or stress. There could be nothing more grateful than this.

The "Winged Victory of Samothrace" is the height of beauty. You can see it without any stress. What do you think? Doesn't it seem impossible not to enjoy this?

I would definitely like to recommend this Winged Victory to those who are going to the Louvre. No, I want you to visit the Louvre precisely to see the Winged Victory. It is definitely worth that much.

Why not experience its beauty for yourself?

This article is a reconstruction of the following article previously published on this blog.

In the original article, I also talk about Michelangelo's Pieta at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

Through this Pieta and the Winged Victory, I discuss what overwhelming beauty means to me. I hope you will also refer to the original article.

Also, one year after visiting the Louvre, in the autumn of 2023, I visited India.

And the celestial maiden statues of Khajuraho that I discuss in this article were also wonderful sculptures that I felt had a quality similar to the Winged Victory.

It was an experience in Khajuraho where I was able to enjoy the highest level of sculpture in India. Please take a look at this as well. I am sure you will be surprised.

That concludes "On the overwhelming beauty of the Winged Victory of Samothrace at the Louvre Museum."

*Added on November 15, 2024

In a comment I received from Saemon-no-suke, they said, "Perhaps 'finding beauty in what is missing' is also a feat of human intelligence and sensibility."

That is exactly right. I think so too. And upon receiving this comment, I was reminded of a certain Buddha statue I visited in Sri Lanka last year. That Buddha statue also made me feel the 'beauty of imperfection.'

Here it is.

This is a Buddha statue at the Lankatilaka Buddhist ruins in Polonnaruwa, located in central Sri Lanka. As you can see, this Buddha statue also has no head and its arms are missing.

But the beauty and impact of this Buddha statue! Among my stays in Sri Lanka, this Buddha statue is the best of the best. When I saw this Buddha statue, it was the 'Winged Victory of Samothrace' that I introduced this time that I associated it with.

Thanks to Saemon-no-suke's comment, I was reminded of this Buddha statue once again. I would like to express my deep gratitude. My heart was warmed by a comment from someone who loves the Winged Victory. Thank you very much.

I talk about the Buddha statue of Lankatilaka, which represents the beauty of imperfection, in the following article, so I would be happy if you could refer to that as well.

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