Description

Book Synopsis
Gargoyles are an architectural feature designed to throw rainwater clear of the walls of a building. Widely used on medieval churches, these water spouts were often richly decorated and fashioned as serpents'' heads and grotesque demons. Today, the term gargoyle is also popularly applied to any carved decorative head or creature high up on a building, and this book is an exploration of all of these enchanting features. Written by an academic and stonecarver, it is the perfect introduction to this fascinating subject from the medieval period to the modern. It explores the typical imagery, the theories that explain them, and considers the carvings within their architectural and social contexts.

Table of Contents
Introduction /The Medieval Context /Patrons and Masons /The Imagery of Gargoyles and Grotesques /Gargoyles and the Gothic Revival /The Conservation of Gargoyles and Grotesques /Places to Visit /Further Reading /Index

Gargoyles and Grotesques

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    A Paperback / softback by Alex Woodcock

    £8.99

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      Book details

      Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
      Published 10 May 2011
      ISBN-13 9780747808312
      978-0747808312
      ISBN-10 0747808317
      Also in:
      Art & Photography Carvings, masks, reliefs History of architecture

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      Gargoyles are an architectural feature designed to throw rainwater clear of the walls of a building. Widely used on medieval churches, these water spouts were often richly decorated and fashioned as serpents'' heads and grotesque demons. Today, the term gargoyle is also popularly applied to any carved decorative head or creature high up on a building, and this book is an exploration of all of these enchanting features. Written by an academic and stonecarver, it is the perfect introduction to this fascinating subject from the medieval period to the modern. It explores the typical imagery, the theories that explain them, and considers the carvings within their architectural and social contexts.

      Table of Contents
      Introduction /The Medieval Context /Patrons and Masons /The Imagery of Gargoyles and Grotesques /Gargoyles and the Gothic Revival /The Conservation of Gargoyles and Grotesques /Places to Visit /Further Reading /Index

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