A mascaron is an ornament in the form of a face used in architecture and the decorative arts. Originally intended to frighten evil spirits from entering a building, the compositional element became pu
Art Deco mascaron above the door of Rue Mademoiselle no. 40, Paris, c.1930
A foliate head in the shape of an acanthus leaf, Bamberg Cathedral, Germany, early 13th century
Elaborate Gothic Green Man in Norwich Cathedral, Norfolk, England, 14th or early 15th century
Second Empire style ceiling with a Green Man in the Napoleon III Apartments, in the Louvre Palace, Paris, designed by Hector Lefuel and decorated with paintings by Charles Raphaël Maréchal, 1859-1860
In architecture, a grotesque is a fantastic or mythical figure carved from stone and fixed to the walls or roof of a building. A chimera is a type of grotesque depicting a mythical combination of mult
Mascaron (architecture)
…intended to frighten evil spirits from entering a building, the compositional element became purely decorative, usually human in appearance, sometimes chimeric. The most recent architectural styles to extensively employ it were Beaux Arts and Art Nouveau. In addition to architecture, mascarons are used in the…
Grotesque on Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim
Grotesques on a church in Gouézec, France
Grotesque at Notre-Dame Cathedral
Grotesque made for the Florence Cathedral, now held at The Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence