In which museum is the Winged Victory of Samothrace (Nike of Samothrace) displayed?

The Winged Victory of Samothrace is displayed in the Louvre Museum in Paris. The celebrated Hellenistic monument stands at the top of the Daru staircase, where its forward motion and elevated position make it appear to surge toward viewers.

The statue represents Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, and dates to about 190 BC. It was carved largely from Parian marble and originally stood on a ship’s bow-shaped base at the Sanctuary of the Great Gods on Samothrace. The monument probably commemorated a naval victory, although the exact patron and event remain debated.

French diplomat Charles Champoiseau discovered the statue on Samothrace in 1863 and sent its fragments to France. The figure is headless and missing both arms, but later restorations reassembled much of the body, wings, drapery, and ship base. It has been exhibited at the Louvre since 1884. Visitors sometimes mistake the staircase setting for the sculpture’s ancient location; the original sanctuary was on Samothrace, not in Paris.