Winged Victory of Samothrace (Nike of Samothrace) 190 BC

The Winged Victory of Samothrace is a marble sculpture from ancient Greece depicting Nike, the goddess of victory. Her powerful wings and forward-leaning stance embody triumph, while her draped garments, clinging to her body, evoke a sense of divine grace. The symbol of wings has traversed millennia. We see winged figures in ancient Assyrian reliefs as well as in Renaissance angel imagery. This motif signifies transcendence, freedom, and divine intervention. But, as it transforms, the symbol loses some of its religious meaning and gains connotations of speed, progress, and aspiration. Consider how Nike’s image has been appropriated in modern advertising, as well as emblems of sports teams. The emotional resonance of victory, deeply embedded in our collective psyche, makes the image of Nike, even fragmented, a potent symbol. Its continuous transformation, a testament to the enduring power of cultural memory.