Pythokritos of Rhodes

Pythokritos of Rhodes

Pythokritos of Rhodes which some artists refer to as Nike of Samothrace, BCE 200-190, is one of the most popular sculptures in the world. It is a Hellenistic sculpture made of marble, based mostly on Nike, the goodness of victory according to Greek culture. Although the exact date of publication of the sculpture is not known, it has been on display in Louvre,Paris, since 1884.Horst Janson, one of the world’s renowned artists described it as the greatest “Hellenistic sculpture” (Tonnybee, 14). In all art perspectives, Pythokritos of Rhodes is a real masterpiece. What is outstanding about this sculpture is that it is an original sculpture. Most of the Hellenistic sculptures on display in many museums in the world are Roman copies, rather than the original sculptures. The sculpture is 244 centimeters and specifically made mostly of Parian marble.

Although the exact date of publication of the sculpture is a controversial topic, it is still a great sculpture by all definitions. It was most probably created to honor the Greek goddess of victory, Nike, after a naval victory. The main themes conveyed by the sculpture are triumph and action. It also portrays artful drapery, in the sense that it depicts what looks like the goddess descending to alight from a ship. Modern excavations have suggested that the Pythokritos of Rhodeswas a niche above a theater (Camarero et al, 14). It was also accompanied by an alter which was in close range to the Demetrius I of Macedon  possibly between BCE 337 and BCE 283. This sculpture, predominantly rendered in White Thaisan, grey and Parian marble, was originally a component of the Samothrace temple. It was exclusively dedicated to the Greek great gods, known as MegaloiTheoi. Although the sculpture clearly shows the goddess descending the ship, the current sculpture does not show the arms. These arms have never been recovered to date. It is believed that the arms of the goodness of victory, Nike, were raised, and at the same time cupped around her mouth. This is taken to show victory in a battle that had taken place.

The pose rendered by the Pythokritos of Rhodes is one of its most outstanding features. This is so because the pose is expertly rendered where sudden stillness and motion meet. Pythokritos of Rhodes has a gracious balance which is also perfect by all standards of art. The draped garments of the goddess are depicted as compelling, in a manner that they seem to be rippling. There seems to be a strong sea breeze in the background, which adds to the astounding rendering of the sculpture. The Pythokritos of Rhodes has been compared with the Laocoön group of art which could possibly have been produced at the same time. However, theLaocoön group is a copy of an original piece of art. This piece of art is of great admiration by classicist and renaissance artists.The Pythokritos of Rhodes is an iconic representation of the spirit of triumphand that of divinity coming into contact with a man..

The sculpture has an outstretched arm, a symmetric plaster version of the original arm. Although this version is a source of scholarly discussion, it is still a major component of the sculpture. The wings neither represent the wings of natural birds or the wings displayed in the Greek art. In addition, the head of the sculpture has never been found, complicating the ability of artists to completely understand the context and meaning of the sculpture. Nevertheless, some fragments of the sculpture missing right arm have been found, and this has helped to further unearth the true picture portrayed by the original sculpture.

The sculpture has different degrees of finish, which is an outstanding artistic feature. In the contemporary world, different degrees of finishing is used to show different emotions. Pythokritos of Rhodes perfectly uses this technique to reveal two emotions: one of victory and another of the struggle before this victory is achieved. Also, the outstretched arms show victory which is supported by the context of the sculpture. One would expect that such an old piece of art would not be relevant in portraying emotion as a crucial part of art.

Despite the incompleteness of the Pythokritos of Rhodes, the sculpture is regarded as a vital piece of art in the Greco-Roman era. It shows great concern about the purpose of movement and form. This sculpture creates an excellent relationship between the imagery space and the goddess. From the sculpture, it is evident that there is some struggle by the goddess to remain steady in the strong breeze in the background. Any viewer of the sculpture can imagine and put in perspective the context of the sculpture. The strong breeze, in contemporary understanding of art, can be taken to show that the naval battle was not easy and that the success was not to be taken for granted. In other words, the movement and form of the sculpture are designed perfectly to fit a situation where a naval battle had been won.

The Pythokritos of RhodesRhodesalso has a deeper meaning in the Greek culture(Tonnybee, 21). The sculpture exemplifies fortune, vengeance, peace, and justice which are associated with the Greeks. Its standing facing the island of Samothrace after a naval victory is significant in understanding the perceptions of the Greeks on the sculpture. In reality, it is one of the earliest incarcerations of the renowned Greek ideas on peace and vengeance. This sculpture was not only created to honor the goddess of victory, Nike but also to honor a sea battle. This emphasizes the role of its uniqueness in its position possibly on the shores of a sea after a naval battle. In the history of the Greeks, naval battles were significant to society. Probably, this sculpture was an ex-voto that was offered for the Rhodes people as a commendation for a naval victory.

Conclusively, the Pythokritos of Rhode is a masterpiece by all definitions of art. It shows a mastery of movement and form, while at the same time using different textures and degree of finish to show different emotions. Although it is not a complete sculpture, it is still a great piece of art of the Hellenistic era. It exactly fits its context and purpose.

Bibliography

Camarero, Carmen, María José Garrido, and Eva Vicente. “Components of art exhibition brand equity for internal and external visitors.” Tourism Management 31.4 (2010): 495-504.

Toynbee, J. M. C. “The Sculpture of the Hellenistic Age. By M. Bieber. Pp. xi+ 232, with 712 plates. New York: Columbia University Press, 1955 (London: Geoffrey Cumberlege).£ 7.” The Journal of Hellenic Studies 76 (1956): 130-132.