Chimeras of Notre-Dame de Paris

The image features three sculpted stone chimeras, or grotesques, positioned along the Gothic balustrade of the Notre-Dame Cathedral. The leftmost figure is hunched with its head resting on its hand, wearing a hood-like structure. The central figure has a prominent tongue protruding from its mouth and a muscular, humanoid torso. To the right, a third chimera with a feline or simian facial structure gazes forward. The sculptures show signs of age with localized moss growth on the grey stone surfaces.

These figures are iconic examples of 19th-century Neo-Gothic revival ornamentation, added by architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc during the cathedral's restoration to reflect a romanticized interpretation of medieval architectural symbolism.