Chimeras of Notre-Dame de Paris

The image features two sculpted limestone chimeras positioned on the upper exterior gallery of Notre-Dame Cathedral. The foreground chimera is a feline-like figure seated in a hunched, attentive posture, while behind it, a second creature with a truncated, elephantine snout and weathered surface texture sits quietly. Both sculptures show significant erosion and porous pitting from centuries of exposure to the elements, set against a background of repetitive gothic column reliefs.

These sculptures are part of the 19th-century Neo-Gothic restoration by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, which sought to revive the medieval bestiary tradition and romanticized the gothic aesthetic. While they mimic medieval gargoyles, they serve as ornamental chimeras—architectural fantasies rather than functional water spouts.