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Gothic Revival

  • Gargoyles and Grotesques of Casa della Vittoria, Turin

    Gargoyles and Grotesques of Casa della Vittoria, Turin

    This dragon grotesque and his twin live on the Casa della Vittoria in Turin, Italy. The building is also sometimes called Casa dei Draghi, presumably because of decorations like this one. (“Drago” is the Italian work for “dragon”.) I’m having trouble finding out more about the building, on account of the fact that my Italian is currently a bit rusty,…

  • Gargoyles and Grotesques of Chateau de Pierrefonds, France

    Gargoyles and Grotesques of Chateau de Pierrefonds, France

    A crocodile gargoyle on the Chateau de Pierrefonds in France.

  • Gargoyles and Grotesques of the University of Chicago

    I’ve talked about the University of Chicago’s gargoyles before, in a post about collegiate gargoyles. However, I really had no idea at the time how prominent a role these gargoyles play in the school’s culture. Not only is the university’s IT system nicknamed “gargoyle”, but the University of Chicago gargoyle also has his own blog, and the…

  • Gargoyle and Grotesques: Biltmore Estate, North Carolina

    Gargoyle and Grotesques: Biltmore Estate, North Carolina

    An introduction to the grotesques at Biltmore Estate, a huge private home in Ashville, North Carolina, USA.

  • Gargoyles and Grotesques of Eastern State Penitentiary, Pennsylvania

    I probably should have saved this one for closer to Halloween, but I just couldn’t wait because it’s almost too good to be true. This very threatening-looking, shackled gargoyle can be found on the exterior of the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I’m not sure if the gargoyle is functional or not, but it…

  • Gargoyles and Grotesques of the Washington National Cathedral

    The National Cathedral in Washington D.C. is a rare and wonderful example of twentieth-century architectural design including gargoyles and grotesques with all the cleverness and authenticity of their very best medieval ancestors. For this, we have to thank the creativity and skill of the craftsmen who carved them in much the same way they would…

  • Gargoyles and Grotesques of Westminster Abbey and Palace, London

    Gargoyles and Grotesques of Westminster Abbey and Palace, London

    An introduction to the gargoyles and grotesques of Westminster Abbey and Westminster Palace – two important Gothic and Gothic Revival structures in London.

  • More Academic Grotesques

    Look at all these charming little faces! A chorus of grotesques holds up a window sill on this pretty stone academic building. These photos were taken by my little sister munchkin, Amira M., who says she passes them on her way to English class. In the photo below, you can see that the window is…

  • Gargoyles Go to College

    Discover the grotesques of the University of Chicago.

  • The Gargoyles of Princeton University

    Meet the gargoyles of Princeton University.

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I’m Alexandra, an art historian who believes that looking at art can enrich everyone’s life. Welcome to my website! Read more about me here.

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