The Winged Victory of Samothrace is my all time, hands down, without-a-doubt most favorite piece of art in the world.
I first met her about fifteen or so years ago on a slow night at the Louvre. I was rushing around trying to fit in as many pieces of art I could in the small window I had available. I had seen the Venus de Milo, the Mona Lisa and others – I snapped a picture and rushed on…cool, seen it, done it, check. The Winged Victory was the only thing in the Louvre that caused me to physically sit down and stare. I sat there, pretty much by myself (that in itself an unusual event in the Louvre) and just took it in.
I’m not sure what it is – maybe the graceful lines or the majestic place it has perched at the top of one of the Louvre’s main staircases, but it just got me…and all these years later – it still does.
I got to visit her again recently and I think I figured out what the draw for me is – it is the purest symbol of raw freedom that I have ever seen…and I love it.
Marrow 