What is the Winged Victory monument?

The Winged Victory of Samothrace, or the Nike of Samothrace,[2] is a votive monument originally found on the island of Samothrace, north of the Aegean Sea. It is a masterpiece of Greek sculpture from the Hellenistic era, dating from the beginning of the 2nd century BC. It is composed of a statue representing the goddess Niké (Victory), whose head and arms are missing, and its base in the shape of a ship's bow.

The total height of the monument is 5.57 meters including the socle; the statue alone measures 2.75 meters. The sculpture is one of a small number of major Hellenistic statues surviving in the original, rather than Roman copies. Winged Victory has been exhibited at the Louvre Museum in Paris, at the top of the main staircase, since 1884.[3]

The Winged Victory is a Greek statue representing the Goddess Nike, minus her head and arms, the base of which is carved to look like a ship's bow.  This sculpture dates back to the beginning of the 2nd century BC, and is notable because it survives in its Greek original, not as a Roman copy. It is exhibited at the Louvre Museum in Paris, at the top of the main staircase.