40 Photographs of Gargoyles and Grotesques from Around the World

Gargoyles are a kind of stone structures that were present in the ancient stone buildings. These were constructed to pass the rain water that use to accumulate on the roof of the house during the rainy season. If the rain water were allowed to seep through the walls of the building, then it would erode the wall of the stone as well as mortar of the buildings and thereby weakening it and to combat this problem, the ugly gargoyles were built around the famous historical buildings. In most cases, animal faces were used in the gargoyles. On the other hand, grotesque are similar structures as gargoyles but they were not used as fountain or waterspout. They are built as a part of the decoration of the house.

According the ancient myths, the presence of these stone structures helped in keep evil forces at bay. These stone structures enhance the beauty of the house and at the same time protect the house natural calamity and wicked forces as well. The detailed carving of the stone grotesques and gargoyles depicting different animals would simply mesmerize and fascinate the viewers.

We have collected forty stunning pictures of gargoyles and grotesques from all around the world. The intelligence of the architecture and the handiwork of the sculptor are really appreciable as these structures serve both functional and decorative purposes. Share with us picture of any other beautiful gargoyles that we have missed out in this list and also your thoughts on this topic in the comments section. Enjoy!!