Chimeras of Notre-Dame de Paris (View toward Eiffel Tower)

Two weathered limestone chimeras are mounted on the exterior gallery of Notre-Dame. The foreground figure, facing left, features the head of a predatory bird with a sharp beak, prominent eyes, and a thick neck, its body partially obscured by a wire safety screen. To its right, a second figure sits facing away from the viewer, displaying folded, articulated wings and feline-like or avian features. Below them, a high-angle view reveals the urban landscape of Paris, including the Seine, city streets, and the Eiffel Tower on the horizon under a cloudy sky.

The chimeras of Notre-Dame are iconic 19th-century Neo-Gothic additions designed by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc during the cathedral's restoration (1843–1864). They represent a Romanticized, folkloric interpretation of medieval iconography rather than original Gothic-era sculptures.