Nike Removing Her Sandal; Bas-relief In Patinated Plaster, Based On The Ancient Greek Marble Sculpture From The Grand Tour

after the ancient geek marble  : Relief of Nike tying her sandal

Grand Tour, late 19th–early 20th century, circa 1900

cast plaster relief with a patina in shades of ochre and earthfaithfully reproduces the famous slab from the south balustrade of the Temple of Athena Nike on the Acropolis of Athens (circa 5th century B.C.), now preserved at the Acropolis Museum.

The bas-relief captures the goddess of Victory in a transitional pose, leaning forward to untie her sandal before setting foot on the sacred ground of the sanctuary. The wet drapery effect reflects the post-Phidias “rich style” of the late 5th century B.C.: the chiton clings in deep, sinuous folds against the torso, creating a wet-drapery effect through transparency that highlights the underlying modeling. This edition cast reproduces the ancient fragment in its headless and mutilated state, reflecting the archaeological taste that characterized European collections of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.