Mascarons of France
One of my favorite architectural features in Europe is the mascaron--basically, a face that adorns a part of a building. These can signify a number of things, but a common explanation is that they were intended to ward off evil. Hence (ahem) why so many mascarons are either monstrous or depict figures from the Greco-Roman pantheon--or both, in the case of Medusa.
One of the common motifs is the green man, usually a face protruding from or completely made up of vegetation. Green men were meant to represent nature's rebirth, or even represent forest or agriculture deities.
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| A green man in the 7th Arr. |
You can find mascarons on almost any edifice--bridges, palaces, churches, offices, apartments--and among almost any architectural style. I gravitate to the more monstrous, which tend to be idiosyncratic. Yet another reason to keep your eyes open as you go about day-to-day life in Europe.
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| A medusa at the Jardins du Trocadéro, 16th Arr. |
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An ugly from Bordeaux. |
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| A feature of the 17th century Grande Cascade, Parc de Saint-Cloud, just outside of Paris. |
I love these architectural features. They're frequently attached to a drain spout. Usually, the gargoyles on the facades of Gothic cathedrals are positioned in such a way that rainwater from the roofs flows through their mouths. But one of the gargoyles of the monastery of Freiburg holds its hands and feet behind the wall, and the water flows from its behind. During its construction in the early 14th century, the municipal council increased the work of masons without a salary increase. The stonemasons did the job, but placed this sculpture in front of the windows of the city council. If you do an image search on the gargoyle of the Freiburg Monastery you'll be able to see it.
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