
eBook - ePub
The Gargoyle Book
572 Examples from Gothic Architecture
- 224 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
Amid the soaring grandeur of arches and spires lurks a more down-to-earth architectural flourish: the grinning head of a gargoyle. Singly and clustered, these intriguing creatures form as distinctive an element of Gothic architecture as the flying buttress. Nowhere are they more prominent than along the walls of French cathedrals, and this magnificently illustrated volume prowls the ramparts of those medieval buildings to discover hundreds of authentic gargoyle carvings.
According to tradition, the gargoyles were posted as sentries, to ward off malevolent spirits and to remind parishioners of the evil beyond the church doors. Author Lester Burbank Bridaham takes a more optimistic view. Noting the stone guardians' whimsical nature, he discusses the artisanal ingenuity involved in their creation. He also points out how they represented a rare sense of freedom in the Middle Ages, in terms of public satire and unbridled artistic enthusiasm. As this book reveals, the timeless appeal of the gargoyle—whether symbolic, spiritual, decorative, or fanciful—continues to captivate the imagination.
According to tradition, the gargoyles were posted as sentries, to ward off malevolent spirits and to remind parishioners of the evil beyond the church doors. Author Lester Burbank Bridaham takes a more optimistic view. Noting the stone guardians' whimsical nature, he discusses the artisanal ingenuity involved in their creation. He also points out how they represented a rare sense of freedom in the Middle Ages, in terms of public satire and unbridled artistic enthusiasm. As this book reveals, the timeless appeal of the gargoyle—whether symbolic, spiritual, decorative, or fanciful—continues to captivate the imagination.
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Yes, you can access The Gargoyle Book by Lester Burbank Bridaham, Ralph Adams Cram in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Architecture & Religious Architecture. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Topic
ArchitectureSubtopic
Religious ArchitectureVIII
WOODWORK

WoodworkâMirepoix (Ariège) Galerie de la PlaceâShowing carved beam ends as found in stonework

Thiers (Puy de DĂ´me) The Seven Deadly Sins XVth Century House

Le Mans (Sarthe) Beam Supports

PlescopâLĂŠzurgan (Morbihan) (Brittany) Shows Use of Dragonâs Heads As Beam EndsâIn Chapel XVIth Century

Malestroit (Morbihan) Maison-Gresbossen XVth Century

Morlaixâ(Finistère) Man in Shirt XVth Century

Morlaix (Finistère) Rue de Notre Dame Player of Bagpipe

Malestroit (Morbihan) Maison Gresbossen XVth Century

Malestroit (Morbihan) Spinning Sow XVth Century

Malestroit (Morbihan) Maison Gresbosson XVth Century

Morlaix (Finistère) Brittany Pillar Detail Museum

Morlaix (Finistère) Museum XVth Century

Le FaouĂŤt (Morbihan) Church St. Fiacre Proverb of Fox Coming Out of ManâSymbol of Drunkenness

Le FaouĂŤt (Morbihan) Church St. FiacreâScreen Flamboyant Gothic

Beauvais (Oise) Foolâs Head

Reims (Marne) Samson and the Lion

Le FaouĂŤt (Morbihan) Eglise St. Fiacre

Pleyben (Finistère) Brittany Woodwork in Church

Morlaix (Finistère) House of Queen Anne

AmiensâMonkâs H...
Table of contents
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Table of Contents
- Dedication
- INTRODUCTION
- AUTHORâS INTRODUCTION
- I - SYMBOLIC DETAILS
- II - NON-SYMBOLIC DETAILS
- III - TYMPANUM SCULPTURE
- IV - GARGOYLESâSIMPLE TYPES
- V - CHIMERES
- VI - HEADS
- VII - CAPITALS AND MISCELLANEOUS COMPOSITIONS
- VIII - WOODWORK
- IX - BIBLIOGRAPHY