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Original fileChimera of Notre-Dame de Paris
GargoyleNotre Dame 2
About This Work
A weathered, light-gray stone sculpture of a mythical, horned beast is shown in profile, facing left. The creature has a heavy brow, pointed ears, a broad snout, and its jaw is slightly agape. The background is a soft-focus view of the Paris skyline, featuring the distinctive tower of the Tour Saint-Jacques.
The gargoyles and chimeras of Notre-Dame de Paris were largely added during the 19th-century restoration by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, intended to evoke a romanticized vision of the Middle Ages rather than historical medieval aesthetics.
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Eugène Viollet-le-Duc
Architect responsible for the 19th-century Neo-Gothic restoration of Notre-Dame which introduced these sculptural elements.