Esto Perpetua

Linda Burton posting from Boise, Idaho – “She’s on the 4^th floor,” I was told by the gift shop manager, and I headed for the elevator right away, eager to visit Nike of Samothrace, aka The Winged Victory. I already knew the story of this 11-foot-high replica-of-a-statue-depicting-a-goddess who sits in the Idaho State Capitol; today I’m here for pictures. She is a heroic figure, even though her head is missing and so are her arms. Her pose conveys a sense of action and triumph; her wings are extended as though descending from the sky; her draped garments appear to be rippling, as though in a strong sea breeze. I got several shots, from either side. I’ve read that the original marble was created in (about) 300 BC to honor not only the goddess Nike, but to honor a sea battle too; sculptor unknown. Now one of the most celebrated statues in the world, Nike was lost for centuries; then discovered in 1863; and has stood in the Louvre since 1884. So how did this plaster replica wind up in Boise, Idaho? » read more