For the Better
Nike of Samothrace is a masterpiece of Hellenistic art. It interacts with its environment, and it almost projects a living, breathing, and emotional experience. It conveys a divine presence through the interpretation of a winged human body. Polykleitos, one of the most famous Classical Greek sculptors of the 5th century BCE, would have hated Nike of Samothrace because it rejects all the canons of Classical Greek art. It is not ideally proportioned, it is not self-contained, and it does not have a bare simple pedestal. However, thankfully Polykleitos is not our modern standard for art appreciation. Humanity has evolved since 5th-century Athens, some for the better and some for the worse. Nike of Samothrace is an example for the better.