Winged Victory of Samothrace to be restored

The Louvre is in September to restore one of its most iconic works, the "Winged Victory of Samothrace" statue depicting the Greek goddess Nike, the museum announced Monday.

The Winged Nike of Samothrace dating from 220-185 BC. at the Musée du Louvre, Paris [Credit: AFP]
A team of experts will oversee the three-million-euro ($4-million) restoration of the ancient Greek marble statue -- one of the Paris art museum's three best-known pieces, along with the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo.

Repair work on the headless statue, which dates from between 220 BC and 185 BC, is expected to take over a year to complete, though the work should be back on show in spring 2014.

Previously restored in 1934, this second touch-up entails cleaning up the statue and resolving a number of structural problems that were not addressed the first time, the museum said.

According to the Louvre, over seven million museum-goers visit the statue every year.

Source: AFP [January 21, 2013]

http://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.gr/2013/01/the-louvre-is-in-september-to-restore.html#.UQALfx3G-rk

Winged Victory of Samothrace
circa 220-185 BC
Samothrace
Parian marble for the statue and gray Rhodian marble for the boat and base
total H. 5.57 m
Paris, Musée du Louvre, MA 2369
Front, right side and three-quarter view: © Erich Lessing
Left side view: © Photo RMN / Gérard Blot / Hervé Lewandowski
Introduction: © 2008 Musée du Louvre / Cécile Dégremont

http://musee.louvre.fr/oal/victoiredesamothrace/victoiredesamothrace_acc_en.html