Sculptures in ACNH vs. Real Life: An Art History Thread

inspired by nuri’s fish & bugs thread! I’m also not an expert, just an art history enthusiast! Correct me if I make a mistake (Left photo is in-game, Right is irl)

Winged Nike of Samothrace (190 BC, Greece)

Depicts the goddess of victory, Nike. It was likely erected to commemorate a won naval battle over Ptolemy II of Egypt, hence its base being the prow of a ship. It is celebrated for how it captures dramatic movement and expression.

Her forward-stepping motion is meant to represent Greece’s continuous victory. Her wet garments show that she is standing against the strong wind and ocean water at the head of the ship. Her head + arms have never been found, but many believe the lackof adds to her beauty.

Venus de Milo (Alexandros of Antioch, 101 BC, Melo)

This statue (likely) depicts Venus (Aphrodite) the goddess of Love. Her arms are broken off and their original position is unknown, although it adds to her mystery. She represents peak sensual feminine beauty for the era.

The two statues above are displayed at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France! The winged Nike is HUGE! (about 18ft) I saw it with my own eyes and I couldn’t believe it was real.

Capitoline Wolf (unknown, 5th century BCE)

This statue depicts the origin myth of the twins Romulus and Remus, who were said to have been saved as infants by a she-wolf before later founding the city of Rome. This is one of the most famous and recognizable symbols of the city.

Terracotta Warrior (Unknown, 210 BCE)
This is a famous symbol of Ancient China. Emperor Qin ShiHuangDi was obsessed with immortality and wished to be buried with an army to go with him to the afterlife. There were over 8,000 unique figures found in his necropolis. This is one.

The Townley Discobolus (copy of Myron’s original, 450 BCE)

This statue depicts a young Greek athlete in motion to throw a discus. The head was restored incorrectly, as he was supposed to be looking back at his hand. This is meant to be the perfect human male form of the time.

Michelangelo’s David (1501-4)

One of the most well-known sculptures in history, this huge statue depicts the Biblical hero David who famously fought Goliath. This is thought to show him before the battle, tense + ready to fight with pronounced veins; tho this has been debated.

This is a perfect example of Contrapposto, a classical sculptural composition emblematic of the renaissance. He stands with uneven distribution of weight, with one hip out and head facing to the side. Its very natural, right? Its also 17 ft tall! His head is also v large.

The Rosetta Stone (Ptolemaic Period, 196 BCE)
This is a broken-off piece of a much larger inscribed stele, covered in Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic and Demotic scripts, with Ancient Greek text at the bottom. It is translated as a decree on behalf of King Ptolemy V Ephiphanes.

The inscriptions between the 3 sections differed very little, so it opened the doors to deciphering Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics. Thus, helping us further study Ancient Egyptian History and language! Three other pieces of the decree were also later found.

Jōmon Period “Dogū” Figurine

These small statues were commonly found in Prehistoric Japan, exclusively in Jōmon era, and are associated w/ goddesses of fertility and shamanistic rites, with pronounced feminine features. They are hardly found intact as they are quite fragile.

Houmuwu ding (Shang Dynasty)
This ding (sacrificial vessel) is the largest piece of bronzeware to survive from the ancient world. “Queen Mother Wu” is inscribed on it, and its believed that the vessel was made by her son after her death. Its ornately decorated w and !

Bust of Nefertiti (Thutmose, 1345 BC)
This bust depicts the Great Royal Wife Nefertiti of Ancient Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten. It was discovered in Thutmose’s workshop. She’s an icon of feminine beauty in the ancient world, tho little is known about the chief consort herself.

Olmec Colossal Heads (at least 900 BC)
These giant basalt sculptures were carved by the Olmecs, an ancient Mesoamerican civilization. They are thought to depict respected and powerful leaders of the Olmec tradition. They can go from 3-11 feet tall! (1.17-3.4 meters)

King Kamehameha I (Thomas Gould, 1881)
This statue depicts Hawaii’s greatest King Kamehameha I, who unified the Islands and established the Kingdom of Hawai’i. There are actually two casts of this statue. Every June 11th he is draped with wreaths of flower lei to celebrate him.

The Thinker “Le Penseur” (Auguste Rodin, 1904)

This sculpture is extremely well-known (hence: familiar statue) and depicts a a heroic male nude deep in thought. It was part of a larger door sculpture called ‘The Gates of Hell’, based on the Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri.

Rodin based the figure on the main character of Dante, looking down at the circles of Hell whilst thinking pensively, and simultaneously depicting a powerful body with great capacity for action. ‘The Thinker’ is commonly used to represent philosophy today.

And that’s it! That is all the sculptures from ACNH and their real-life counterparts. My favorite sculpture has always been the Winged Nike. I’d love to do one for paintings as well. Corrections will be added to the thread!

All credits for in-game photos goes to Polygon, and all photos of sculptures to their owners as well.