On the 13th of April 1863, Charles Champoiseau uncovered a bust and the body of a colossal female statue carved from white marble, together with several feathers and drapery pieceson Samothrace Island.
The complete memorial was subsequently positioned from the front, on the higher landing of the Daru stairway, the Louvre gallery’s main grand staircase.
When the Second World War was declared in September 1939, the Nike of Samothrace statue was dropped from its pedestal to be removed and hidden with the other wonders of the Louvre Museum.
An American team digitized the whole sanctuary to enable 3D restoration. The structure is reconstructed on a contemporary base, a little distanced on the platform to enable visitor flow.
The statue, made of white Parian marble, shows Nike, a winged lady, landing on the bow of a vessel. Nike wears a long garment of a beautiful cloth with folded flaps and a belt beneath the breast.
Based on the writings of Benndorf, the Winged Victory of Samothrace was carved in the later years of the fourth century BC by a disciple of artist Scopas.
Despite the fact that the alleged dedication inscription of a Rhodian’s name located at the Victory’s base was swiftly questioned due to its modest size, the whole monument was credited to the Rhodian sculptural school.