The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-11-16
The Goddess Of Victory Recently Dis.
covered at Olympia.

Having given this short sketch of the
site, let us now turn to the statues discov.
cred, and first to the gem of the collection.
the Victory of Paonius, which was the
first object brought to light by the exca-
vations. Unfortunately, essential portions
OF this beautiful figure are still wanting,
the head, the wings, both arms, and the
greater part of the left leg. Still one can
clearly discern the admirable and genial
mot f of the attitude, the boldness of
which. especially when viewed in profile,
is surprisingly clear. The artist has de.
picted the moment in which the goddess
swoops down from the heights of Olym-
pus: Perhaps this was further indicated
by the peculiar pedestal, which seems to
have represented crag, from which one
sees not exactly how the front part of a
bird, perhaps an eagle, became visible.
Obviously, coioring originally distin-
guished the bird clearly from the pedes-
tai. Traces of color are said to have been
found on the garment of the goddess.
But whatever opinion people NAV form
about the pedestal the downward sweep
is magniicently expressed in the limbs
and the attitude of the goddess. She had
her wings fully spread out, the left arm
obviously lifted up and bearing a fillet or
garland; the right, which probably bore a
herald's wand, hung by her side. The
left leg is advanced. The drapery, which
is moved by the same mighty impetus
that pervades the attitude of the figure, is
driven back as if by the blast of a storm,
and clings closely to the lovely limbs of
the goddess and is parted by the left leg.
The left breast is bare.
Technically speaking this figure is a
masterpiece, for it is connected with the
pedestal only by the right leg and the
drapery that flows behind it; while with
this exception the whole body is thrown
forward in the boldest manner. The
mantle, which, as some fragments show,
swelled like bow in a wide circle from
the waist to the pedestal, can have con.
tributed but little to give support to the
figure.
The execution is characterized by a free
dom and freshness which not only equal
but seem also closely allied to that shown
in the best sculptures of the Parthenon
II the work is compared with, for exam
pie, the so called Iris of the east pedimenl
OF the Parthenon, it will be impossible
not to recognize an advance. In order tc
realize the full force of this figure thrust
We placed upon its high pedestal, consist
Ing of three-cornered blocks rising like
steps. In the Berlin Museum Prof. Adlel
has been able t. restore this pedestal by
aid Of the blocks that have been discovered
His restoration is correct in the main, al
though the architectonic form of the up
permost block cannot be ascertained, and
the height cannot be definitely settled, a
some Of the blocks are wanting. Sc
much, however, is certain, that the ped
estal was at least five meters high, and
probably six.
If one only places the figures so that the
left foot comes in advance of the from,
point of the pedestal, and the drapery as
it flies back fills the broad side turned to
the rear-in the Berlin Museum, in defer.
ence to the inscription, another attitude
has been wrongly adopted-one obtains a
pose of astonishing daring which thor.
oughly suits the sculptor's conception, and
lifts high in the air the bold figure of the
lightly flying goddess. In fact she must
have lowered far above the eastern wall oil
the Altis, of which supposed traces have
been found close behind her. Anyone
who has seen how much the proportions
of the Nike gain by being placed thus on
high, how much more elegant and light
the figure appears, how the flow of the
lines improves; will be filled with the
highest admiration for the art with which
the ancients adapted the proportions Of
their statues to their positions. -Athen0um