[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:00.19,0:00:03.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(gentle piano music)
Dialogue: 0,0:00:04.96,0:00:06.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,- [Beth] We're standing in the Louvre,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:06.07,0:00:09.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,looking at the very\Nfamous Nike of Samothrace.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:09.15,0:00:11.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now a Nike personifies victory.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:11.88,0:00:13.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,- [Steven] And was the\Ngoddess of victory as well.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:13.75,0:00:16.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This sculpture is 18\Nfeet tall if you include
Dialogue: 0,0:00:16.60,0:00:17.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the ship that she stands on.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:17.96,0:00:21.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it's placed at the top of\None of the grand staircases,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:21.21,0:00:23.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so it is incredibly dramatic.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:23.71,0:00:25.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,- [Beth] She was found in pieces.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:25.62,0:00:28.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She wasn't found whole the\Nway that we see her today,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.31,0:00:29.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and she's been reconstructed.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:29.90,0:00:32.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The pieces that were\Nmissing have been filled in.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:32.57,0:00:34.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And she was recently restored.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:34.81,0:00:36.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,- [Steven] Originally, this was placed
Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.10,0:00:37.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the Sanctuary of the Great Gods
Dialogue: 0,0:00:37.68,0:00:41.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on the Island of Samothrace in\Nthe northeastern Aegean Sea.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:41.46,0:00:43.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But we should say that we\Nhave very little information
Dialogue: 0,0:00:43.22,0:00:44.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about this particular cult.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:44.68,0:00:47.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What we do have is a\Nmagnificent sculpture.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:47.15,0:00:49.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It was carved during\Nthe Hellenistic period.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:49.26,0:00:51.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is after the classical period,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:51.00,0:00:54.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,after Alexander the Great created\None of the largest empires
Dialogue: 0,0:00:54.53,0:00:56.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the world had known to that date.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:56.21,0:01:00.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it was a period when Greek\Nart was extremely expressive.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.13,0:01:03.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And in fact, art historians\Noften pair this sculpture
Dialogue: 0,0:01:03.72,0:01:06.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in its style with a sculpture that we find
Dialogue: 0,0:01:06.38,0:01:10.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on the great frieze at the\NAltar of Zeus at Pergamon.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:10.31,0:01:11.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,- [Beth] In both cases, there's a sense
Dialogue: 0,0:01:11.91,0:01:14.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of energy, and drama, and power.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:14.97,0:01:18.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And although we can compare\Nthe drapery that clings
Dialogue: 0,0:01:18.30,0:01:21.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in these complex folds to\Nthe body, to the sculptures
Dialogue: 0,0:01:21.41,0:01:25.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on the earlier Parthenon,\Nthere's so much more drama here.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:25.54,0:01:27.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,- [Steven] I love the\Nway in which the drape
Dialogue: 0,0:01:27.00,0:01:28.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,seems to be whipped by the wind.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:28.42,0:01:29.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it's interesting to note
Dialogue: 0,0:01:29.54,0:01:31.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that the way that this\Nship would have originally
Dialogue: 0,0:01:31.61,0:01:33.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,been oriented, it would have been facing
Dialogue: 0,0:01:33.53,0:01:36.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,towards the coast with the\Nwind coming off the sea.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:36.71,0:01:39.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so the actual wind on\NSamothrace would have functioned
Dialogue: 0,0:01:39.91,0:01:42.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as a collaborator with the\Nillusion of the sculpture.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:42.85,0:01:45.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,- [Beth] Now Nike figures are not unusual
Dialogue: 0,0:01:45.19,0:01:46.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in ancient Greek art.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:46.32,0:01:51.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,To me, what's so special about\Nthis figure is the tension
Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.38,0:01:54.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,between the lower half of\Nthe body and the upper half.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:54.68,0:01:58.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She's clearly alighting,\Nlanding on this ship,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:58.00,0:01:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but with the lower part of her body,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:59.99,0:02:02.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I feel that pull downward.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:02.53,0:02:07.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But the upper part of her body\Nseems to still be held aloft,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:07.07,0:02:10.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and so her torso stretches up
Dialogue: 0,0:02:10.18,0:02:13.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and twists slightly in the\Nopposite direction of her legs.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:13.73,0:02:15.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So there's this upward movement,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:15.49,0:02:17.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but downward movement at the same time
Dialogue: 0,0:02:17.82,0:02:20.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,- [Steven] The sense of\Nnaturalism is so extraordinary
Dialogue: 0,0:02:20.30,0:02:22.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that there seems to be nothing improbable
Dialogue: 0,0:02:22.99,0:02:26.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about the wings attached to\Nthe shoulders of this figure.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:26.02,0:02:27.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It just seems completely natural.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:27.97,0:02:29.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,- [Beth] It used to be\Nthought that perhaps
Dialogue: 0,0:02:29.79,0:02:32.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,this figure stood within a fountain
Dialogue: 0,0:02:32.28,0:02:34.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and perhaps was blowing a trumpet
Dialogue: 0,0:02:34.41,0:02:36.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or offering a crown of victory,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:36.77,0:02:40.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but we now think that her\Nhand was simply outstretched.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:40.57,0:02:42.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Either she was in an open sanctuary
Dialogue: 0,0:02:42.49,0:02:44.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or a slightly enclosed sanctuary.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:44.70,0:02:48.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I love the pinkish white,\Nalmost golden color
Dialogue: 0,0:02:48.72,0:02:51.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of the marble that she's carved from
Dialogue: 0,0:02:51.69,0:02:54.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the grayish color of the ship.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:54.51,0:02:55.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,- [Steven] There's a wonderful contrast
Dialogue: 0,0:02:55.60,0:02:57.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,between those two materials.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:57.23,0:03:00.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Although she's lost her\Nhead, and both of her arms,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:00.18,0:03:02.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and other bits and pieces as well,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:02.06,0:03:05.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we are so lucky to have\Nthis sculpture this intact.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:05.68,0:03:08.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,- [Beth] Well think about\Nall that's been lost
Dialogue: 0,0:03:08.20,0:03:12.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that didn't survive and\Nthe incredible achievements
Dialogue: 0,0:03:12.06,0:03:15.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of ancient Greek and\Nspecifically Hellenistic art.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:15.86,0:03:18.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(gentle piano music)