Welcome back to the Field Guide to Gargoyles. Here, you'll find everything you've ever wanted to know about gargoyles and grotesques. To recap, so far we have defined gargoyles and grotesques, learned where they originated, and found out where to look for them. To be a successful gargoyle hunter, however, you need one more piece of information - what they… Continue reading Field Guide to Gargoyles, Part Four: What Do They Look Like?
Tag: grotesques
Field Guide to Gargoyles, Part Three: Where Can You Find Them?
Welcome back to the Field Guide to Gargoyles, your prime source for essential gargoyle information. In case you missed them, check out parts one and two. Now that we know what gargoyles are and where they came from, let's go gargoyle hunting! Where Can You Find Gargoyles? To find an authentic medieval gargoyle or grotesque,… Continue reading Field Guide to Gargoyles, Part Three: Where Can You Find Them?
Field Guide to Gargoyles, Part Two: Where and When Did Gargoyles Come From?
Welcome back to the Field Guide to Gargoyles, your answer for common questions about gargoyles and grotesques. Last time, we identified what a gargoyle is and how it differs from a grotesque. Now, let's talk about the gargoyle origin story. Where and when do gargoyles come from? A gargoyle at St. Peter's Church in Norfolk, UK. Photo copyright Blosslyn.… Continue reading Field Guide to Gargoyles, Part Two: Where and When Did Gargoyles Come From?
Field Guide to Gargoyles, Part One: What is a Gargoyle?
Gargoyles - the amusing, fantastical, and sometimes creepy little stone creatures that often inhabit the drain spouts of medieval churches - are among my favorite things. Together with their non-functional cousins, the grotesques, gargoyles have long been a source of popular fascination. As a college student, I remember being told that attempting to find a convincing explanation for gargoyles,… Continue reading Field Guide to Gargoyles, Part One: What is a Gargoyle?
Gargoyle of the Day: City Museum, St. Louis, Missouri
According to the photographer's caption on flickr, this grotesque can be found at the City Museum in St. Louis, Missouri. Not being familiar with that particular institution but assuming it was an art museum, I searched online to figure out if this carving is a feature of the building or part of its collection. Instead, I… Continue reading Gargoyle of the Day: City Museum, St. Louis, Missouri
Gargoyle of the Day: City College of New York
I freely admit that I haven't been great about posting gargoyles over the past few months, but I recently found a reader grotesque that I hadn't seen before, and it seems to have snapped me back into action. This scholarly fellow attends the City College of New York. I believe that he resides on the… Continue reading Gargoyle of the Day: City College of New York
Gargoyles to Call My Own
Gargoyle collecting isn't among the most popular of hobbies, so I may be on the road to becoming a trendsetter. I purchased these two little grotesques at the New York Renaissance Faire this past weekend. I've named them Toulouse and Berlioz in honor of one of my favorite Disney movies, The Aristocats. According to the salesperson, Toulouse is a grotesque baby… Continue reading Gargoyles to Call My Own
Gargoyle of the Day: Buen Retiro Park, Madrid
These gargoyles may not be on a building, but they are certainly serving their proper purpose. Located on the base of the Fountain of the Fallen Angel (Fuente del Ángel Caído) in Madrid's Buen Retiro Park, these eight devil figures spit water out of their mouths and the mouths of their reptilian pets. The statue, designed… Continue reading Gargoyle of the Day: Buen Retiro Park, Madrid
Gargoyle of the Day: Turnblad Mansion, Minneapolis, USA
I belong to a wonderful group on Facebook called Mansions of the Gilded Age. Last month, I asked some of my fellow group members whether they knew of any gargoyles on Gilded Age homes. They came back with quite a few great examples, including the Turnblad Mansion in Minneapolis. Commissioned by Swedish-born newspaper publisher Swan Turnblad… Continue reading Gargoyle of the Day: Turnblad Mansion, Minneapolis, USA
Gargoyle of the Day: Reims Cathedral, France
This gargoyle on Reims Cathedral seems to have had a head transplant some time since the Middle Ages! The concept is actually not that unusual, since centuries of running water often erode functioning gargoyles over time. It's difficult to tell from this photo if the replacement was done in metal or a differently-colored stone. Either way, the end result… Continue reading Gargoyle of the Day: Reims Cathedral, France