The Louvre in Paris will remove the coveted Winged Victory of Samothrace from its regular spot on Tuesday, September 3, 2013 so that the marble sculpture of the Greek goddess Nike can be restored. Winged Victory dates back to the 2nd century BC and has been a prominent fixture at the Louvre since 1884.
The same day that the statue is to be taken off public view, the Louvre will launch an appeal for €1 million in donations to help complete the project, which includes restoring the statue as well as the Daru staircase, which houses Winged Victory. The entire endeavor will cost around €4 million; the museum has already collected €3 million in donations from Nippon Television Holdings, Fimalac and Bank of American Merrill Lynch.
It became clear that Winged Victory was in need of some attention after becoming significantly discolored by dirt, lessening the distinction between the white marble of the sculpture and the gray marble of the its base. The restoration, the first in nearly 80 years, will also deal with a support frame that was inserted on the back of the statue and a crack in the work’s base.
