Gargoyle overlooking Paris (Notre-Dame)

The image features a weathered, grey stone sculpture of a horned, chimera-like gargoyle perched on a cathedral ledge. Seen in profile facing right, the figure has a protruding snout, a downward-curving horn on its head, and a long, flat beard or chin extension; its clawed hand rests upon a spherical object. The background provides an elevated, panoramic view of the dense, multi-storied rooftops of 19th-century Parisian architecture under a bright, overcast sky.

These chimeras were added during Eugène Viollet-le-Duc’s 19th-century restoration of Notre-Dame, reflecting the Gothic Revival movement's fascination with medieval architectural grotesques as symbols of liminality and spiritual protection.