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Nike of Samothrace with Golden Wing
Marilyn R. Pappas (American, born in 1931)
2001
Medium/Technique
Cotton, 2% gold threads embroidered on linen
Dimensions
Height x width: 156 x 58 5/8 in. (396.2 x 148.8 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Anita and Ronald Wornick
Accession Number2011.1674
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsContemporary Art, Americas, Fashion and Textiles
ClassificationsFiber arts
Painstakingly hand-stitching her muses, Pappas dignifies her interpretations of female Greco-Roman sculptures with individuality. By working on soft linen—the same material supposedly depicted in the original sculptures—Pappas hopes to accentuate these women’s femininity. According to Pappas, “My stitched muses are celebrations of the timeless power and beauty of women.” The Nike of Samothrace depicted here was originally created on the Greek island of Samothrace and is now housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris where it has stood at the top of the main staircase since 1884. It is considered a masterpiece of Hellenistic (323-146 BCE) sculpture and stands at over nine feet, a scale captured by Pappas in her monumental textile.
DescriptionLong length of tan/gray linen with the winged Nike of Samothrace on it in black, white, tan and gold thread.
Provenance2002, sold by Snyderman Gallery, PA to Ron and Anita Wornick; 2011, gift of Ron and Anita Wornick to the MFA. (Accession Date: September 21, 2011) (Accession Date: September 21, 2011)
CopyrightReproduced with permission.