Gargoyles/statues.. Over Symbolized? Well, since the moderator has asked us to start up our own debates/questions, I'll take the risk of setting the tone and ask something that has just come up in my studies... I am taking a course of "Gothic Architecture" and recently we were looking at some pictures of Gargoyles and other statues from places such as Notre Dame (what a surprise). The professor launched into an interpretation of what the Gargoyls are (beyond the obvious water spouts).. One line of thought is that they are much like sentinals, the rejected evil, or a barrier to deliniate, this is the "outside" vs what is good and holy in the church.. We also looked at some statuary from within the churchs, such as some demon like creatures which were eating infants, and other horrific beasts.. reactions to these were that, perhaps they were there to remind the monk with the wander mind to focus on the sermon, perhaps because the weight of the church was above them (they were all scrunched up in capitals....) they were being shown as crushed by the church, or they were a sign of the disorderly outside vs. the orderly and good haven of the church. of course, what I have given here is a shortened version of the discusion, but it should be enough to give you a general idea of the type of interpretation that was going on.... Well, this struck me as being wrong, as a misinterpretation of medieval symbolism etc. It seems to me to be a 20th century style of symbolic interpreation, vs. the medieval concept. I will first admit to not being any "expert" on medieval symbolism or art, but I have had many years of contact with it and feel that I have a fairly good intuitive grasp of it. I feel that medieval symbolism was far less subtle then what we practice today.. now, I'm not saying that they had weaker powers of interpretation, but rather that the style was different and relied on more concrete equalities. Also, symbolic meaning seemes to have been more confined.. i.e the images around the portal of Chartres are deeply imbued with meaning, but that is partly because attention is focused upon them they are in a special highlighted spot... When we start looking at the carvings in capitals, the gargoyls and other statuary that can be found scattered throughout many cathedrals, these statues have a different quality to them, more playful, even the "beasts". they seem to be more like the doodlings in the margins of manuscripts by the imaginative illuminators. It seems to me that the artists are covering the cathedral with expressions of the world around them. This includes the carvings of common people, of people in pain, of little angels, of demons and monsters, for to the medieval mind monsters and angels WERE part of the world around them... So what is my support for this? Nothing overly concrete, but a general sense of medieval art. Much of the art of the time would have some serious/important focus, but upon examining the margins and corners even the most important works can be found to have amusing/humorous or just random "filler" art.... The major threads to take from this question: On a specific level, what is the meaning or symbolism (if any) of the gargoyls on cathedrals such as Notre Dame? More broadly (and more interesting I think): What sort of interpretation should we use when looking at Medieval art? It seems that there is the clear danger of applying modern concepts of symbolism and interpretation to a system of art which used different rules.. and last: what role can we find for the "marginal" art work.. it seems prevalent through out the time, in manuscripts, the Bayeux tapestry is full of it, paintings, sculptures... Did it play a role in balancing out the central theme of the artwork, or was it simply "filler" art for the entertainment of both the artist and the viewer??? So, I hope this gets some discussion going for everyones entertainment and education, I know I'm interested in what the feelings of others on this is.... Thomas Willeke vytas@leland.stanford.edu [Submitted by: Thomas Klaus Willeke <vytas@LELAND.STANFORD.EDU> Fri, 28 Oct 1994 19:36:23 -0700] Up