Amid the soaring grandeur of arches and spires lurks a more down-to-earth architectural flourish: the grinning head of a gargoyle. Singly and clustered; these intriguing creatures form as distinctive an element of Gothic architecture as the flying buttress. Nowhere are they more prominent than along the walls of French cathedrals; and this magnificently illustrated volume prowls the ramparts of those medieval buildings to discover hundreds of authentic gargoyle carvings.According to tradition; the gargoyles were posted as sentries; to ward off malevolent spirits and to remind parishioners of the evil beyond the church doors. Author Lester Burbank Bridaham takes a more optimistic view. Noting the stone guardians whimsical nature; he discusses the artisanal ingenuity involved in their creation. He also points out how they represented a rare sense of freedom in the Middle Ages; in terms of public satire and unbridled artistic enthusiasm. As this book reveals; the timeless appeal of the gargoylemdash;whether symbolic; spiritual; decorative; or fancifulmdash;continues to captivate the imagination.
#1509753 in eBooks 2013-01-09 2013-01-09File Name: B00A3M16OO
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A Virtual Treasure TroveBy Charles M. BeckerI spent a modest sum to purchase two copies of this EXCELLENT book: one for my Wisconsin friends who were born/raised around Mineral Point; one for myself born in Illinois but a 10+ years Milwaukee Area resident [and; in the French manner;] a "commonsewer" of fine beers. We all four; including the wives; have been rewarded with many; many hours of education and satisfaction. The narrative is clear and straight to the point. As an amateur photographer; I can appreciate the ABSOLUTE ARTISTRY behind the difficult interior images; deftly balancing reproduction of detail with ambient light from a myriad of "color temperature" sources. Well done; Mark Fay! Well done!This is a volume that most Midwest residents ought to consult; just to be aware of the heritage in their midst. It is a volume that belongs on the shelf of any Wisconsin resident; whether they can read it or just to enjoy the photo essays. If I were a rich man; I could happily distribute 100 copies among friends. DONT BE LEFT OUT! Order yours today.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Very Entertaining VideoBy H. S. MarshOur daughter-in-law is from Wisconsin; and both she and our son love beer; so this looked like a nice DVD to include in her birthday gifts. They both loved the video and told us that is was very well done and very entertaining. If youre from Wisconsin and enjoy beer; or even if you arent from Wisconsin and like beer; you should consider this video. From what they told us; it has some very humorous parts in addition to giving a good history of beer in Wisconsin.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Loved this review of bars in MilwaukeeBy Sandra RichardsLoved this review of bars in Milwaukee. Sent a copy to my aunt in Michigan and she reminisced with the descriptions of the bars. Gave a copy to my dad and the people in his retirement home loved the book also.