Nike
Cararra Marble (Italy)
24"
The work is made of the famous Carrara marble; quarried from the hallowed ground from whence came Michelangelo's David (now in the Accademia in Florence) and the Pietà (now in the Vatican in Rome). The white is pure, accented with delicate grey lacing. Nike is depicted here, as a kneeling archer, having just released an arrow.
In ancient Greek civilization, Nike was a goddess who personified victory. Her Roman equivalent was Victoria. She is the daughter of the Titan Pallas and the goddess Styx (the daughter of the ocean). Her children are Kratos (Strength) and Bia (Force).
Nike assumed the role of the divine charioteer, a role in which she often is portrayed in Classical Greek art. Nike flew around battlefields rewarding the victors with glory and fame, symbolized by a wreath of laurel leaves