When I visited the Louvre, I, like everyone else, rushed to see the Mona Lisa, before the crowds got too crazy. But after I took in da Vinci’s masterpiece, I headed back out to the main staircase to spend some time with one of the museum’s other masterpieces, Winged Victory.
Winged Victory of Samothrace represents the goddess Nike. It was found on the island of Samothrace, and dates to around 200 BCE. It was placed on a platform shaped as the prow of a boat. It was part of the Sanctuary of the Great Gods, a religious sanctuary on the island.