8/27/2023 0 Comments Download gargoyles on cathedrals![]() ![]() The presence of the gargoyles, then, could be explained as a survival of these Greek and Roman motifs in later European art. Baltrusaitis explained that the half-human and half-animal creatures of antiquity never disappeared completely in Europe. The celebrated historian and art critic Jurgis Baltrusaitis, one of the founders of the school of comparative artistic research and author of the book The Fantastic Middle Ages, is a constantly cited authority when it comes to the study of the presence of the monstrous in medieval art. Technically speaking, the fantastic stone carvings that do not serve as functioning downspouts are known as grotesques, not gargoyles, though popular imagination lumps them together. That is precisely what, as an architectural element, the gargoyle is in charge of: a gargoyle collects and then expels water away from the roofs and walls of the building. In fact, the French word gargouille is a derivative of the verb gargouiller, which in turn derives from the Greek gargarizó: to gargle. It is by no means a medieval invention: Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used them in ancient times, in order to prevent moisture from destroying their ceilings. Any support you can give will help us keep communities connected to culture in these difficult times.A gargoyle is simply the protruding part of a pipe that serves to deflect water that would otherwise accumulate on a roof. If you have enjoyed Culture on Call and you are able to make a donation, please click the link below. Or order yourself some air drying clay and using a plastic or metal carving knife create your own caricature head? For very little ones playdough makes fabulous head designs too. ![]() All you need is some card and elasticated string. Design, draw or download a grotesque mask. If you and your little ones are bored at home and looking for something fun to do why not try some ‘gargoyle’ crafts at home. We know they date back to around 1535 and that some are popular carving designs of the period, whilst others are believed to be caricatures of infamous Tudors in power at the time - one in particular does rather resemble Cardinal Wolsey! Sadly, little is now known about the Basing House figures. The carvings are also believed to be the original inspiration for Halloween masks! Grotesques are attributed with the power to ward off evil spirits, guarding buildings and protecting those inside, which is why they are often found on religious buildings. Grotesques were designed to be either very ugly fantasy creatures or comically distorted takes on famous people of the time. Looking closely at our collection, none appear to have any spouting holes, which would suggest they are grotesques, created purely to decorate buildings, rather than gargoyles. By definition, a gargoyle has a functional purpose to convey water away from the sides of buildings through a spout sculpted as part of the figure. The gargoyles at Basing House are purely decorative carvings, which once adorned the exterior of the grand house. Gargoyles are fascinating architectural sculptures made from stone, which can be found on many Medieval and Tudor buildings - most commonly cathedrals and churches - but they were also fashionable oddities for the wealthy when designing their stately homes. The small finds have since been moved on and only the gargoyles of Basing House remain on display. The Bothy was originally built by Lord Bolton back in the 1870s as a museum to house the small finds from his excavations of the site. Over the winter of 2019, the team at Basing House was hard at work cleaning and decorating The Bothy with the aim to re-open the doors this summer as a tea room.
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