Important Announcement

The MSN Groups service will close in February 2009. You can move your group to Multiply, MSN’s partner for online groups. Learn More

Gargoyles and Grotesques of The World

Presented by Walter S. Arnold, sculptor/stone carver

This page has just started; bookmark it and come back to see more additions. Click the photos to see larger images.

A collection of gargoyles, grotesques and greenmen from around the world. Some are photos I took others have been sent to me. Please note that all images are property of the respective photographers; you can use them for classroom studies, research, and inspiration, but if you want to use them on web sites or in publications you need to ask our permission. Thank you.

*Chicago*
Carved limestone: The Greenman is in Kenwood on the South Side; Bacchus is on Belmont Ave. The ornate dragon hidden in the tracery is on a Hyde Park church. Photos by Walter Arnold
Chicago terra cotta: A second page of Chicago sculpture, featuring works in terracotta.
*Boston*
Boston Lions: Boston, Massachusetts has quite a pride of lions.	Boston Gargoyles: Watching over the city
The Burrage: A real gem of a mansion in Boston's Back Bay with over 165 carved gargoyles, grotesques, cherubs and other faces. Photos by Walter Arnold

Portugal

gargoyle eating or regurgitating a person

The Monastery of Batalha, Portugal, is an incredible work of Gothic architecture, covered with fantastic carvings. These photos were taken by Filipa Louro and are shown here with her kind permission.

New York

New York City was home to many hundreds of great carvers 100 years ago, and they've left gargoyles and grotesques all over the city. These examples are from just one building, on West 110th Street.

Toronto

Old Parliament Building and Royal Ontario Museum. Photos by Walter Arnold

Tuscany, Italy

These are but three of the many gargoyles and grotesques which I've found in small Italian cities.
Select any of them to see a page filled with many more. Photos by Walter Arnold

Orvieto, Italy

Orvieto is an ancient hill town between Rome and Florence. Wander around the medieval center of town and you'll find loads of gargoyles.

Brescia, Italy

Brescia is in the Lombardy region of Northern Italy.

The U.K.

San Antonio, Texas

Photos courtesy T. M. Battersby, ornamental plasterer and stuccoist.

Narita, Japan

Narita Temple, near the international airport

The Naritasan Shinshoji Temple has many wonderful carvings Photo by Fely Q. Arnold

Des Moines, Iowa

Iowa courthouse keystone- legal grotesques

Prague, Czech Republic

Paris - Notre Dame Cathedral

The famed gargoyles of Notre Dame Cathedral

The concept of Gargoyles started between the 11th and the 13th Centuries. Their purpose was first to scare off evil, and second as a fancy way to divert rainwater. Many have open mouths because they also functioned downspouts to divert rainwater from foundations. As a result, many of the early Gargoyles also had rather long necks. The word "Gargoyle" originates from the old French word "Gargouille" meaning "Throat" but which also fairly well describes the gurgling sound of water coming through the downspout.

The Catholic Church originally used Gargoyles as a scary visual reminder to behave for their Pagan converts, many of whom were illiterate. They were something of a "sermon in stone", or a warning of sorts to teach the people how to behave in a non-written way. They are now pretty much ornamental and assume many different forms.

Most gargoyles are grotesque, but stone carvers in the past also honored relatives and friends by carving their faces into them. As they evolved, they morphed into often very elaborate statuary.

As Gargoyles evolved, they became symbols of sorts, using recurring themes, mostly related to Paganism. The five basic groups are listed below:

.....Faces with multiple smaller figures and one large figure, or one figure with mouth agape and protruding tongue - symbolizes the insignificance of the individual and how vulnerable we are to larger powers.

.....Detached heads - A real practice of the Celts, who were head hunters. They worshiped the heads they severed and believed these heads held supernatural powers.

.....Ambiguous gender and species - Specimens again date back to the Pagans. The Pagan religions existed to overcome chaos and peril.   These Gargoyles are representative of the fear of the unknown. This type of Gargoyle is now known as "Grotesque."

.....Head entwined with branches and leaves - A branch coming out of the mouth or surrounding the head was a sign of divinity to the Celts. The Druids often depicted oak leaves, as the oak was sacred to them.  This is often referred to as the "Green Man" today.

.....Sexual Themes - Used by the Pagan religions as symbols of fertility. If used on outside walls, they were thought to discourage evil. Again, we go back to the universal fear of sexuality that exists even today.

Important Announcement The MSN Groups service will close in February 2009. You can move your group to Multiply, MSN’s partner for online groups. Learn More
Wicca Way	[email protected]