Winged Victory, also referred to as Nike, is a replica of the 3rd century B.C. sculpture Winged Victory of Samothrace. As is true for Connecticut College’s replica, the artist of the original is regretfully unknown. In the mid-19th century, the original Winged Victory of Samothrace was discovered on the Greek island of Samothrace and later traveled to a safer home where it would be cared for and appreciated—the top of the Daru staircase in Paris’ Louvre Museum.
Since its arrival at the museum in 1884, Winged Victory of Samothrace has only been moved once. On the evening of Sept. 3, 1939, a crew of men gently lowered the sculpture down the staircase and transported it to a chateau in the French countryside for safekeeping during World War II.
During June of the same year, Connecticut College acquired its own full-sized 7-foot tall replica of the sculpture. Since 1939, our Winged Victory has gained symbolic value and was officially listed to have a “highest” priority for conservation in the Sculpture and Decorative Arts Conservation Services, LLC report of 2009.
Made from white Carrara marble, the sculpture’s structure has developed severe cracks over time, and several chunks of the wingspan are missing due to cracks left untreated. As for the surface, there are small splotches of paint and many fissures have formed due to rain runoff.
Furthermore, Winged Victory has been at the receiving end of various campus jokes over the years, including sculpted snow heads and being toilet papered.
The Sculpture and Decorative Arts Conservation Services, LLC report recommended that, “The piece should be stabilized and moved indoors as soon as possible. It should be placed in a location where it can be protected from accidental impact with people and materials. Stabilization involves consolidating all loose material, and filling all joints, gaps and fissures with a soft lime-based mortar…Once the sculpture is stabilized, it should be inspected annually and all open cracks and joints filled with a soft mortar. The sculpture should be cleaned using a biocide to prevent the intrusion of algae and lichens into the surface.”
In its 75th year at the College, as it struggles to uphold its structural integrity, Winged Victory nevertheless continues to hold significant iconic value. •
