I cannot begin to tell you how long I have wanted to photograph the famous gargoyles atop Notre Dame. These gargoyles – half man, half beast – have presided over Paris since the medieval era. They have frightened away evil spirits and carried rain from the roof of Notre Dame's Cathedral for over 700 years.
Can you imagine 700 years? The Black Death, the Hundred Years War, the French Revolution, the Rise of Napoleon, the Impressionists working on the banks of the Seine, the Industrial Revolution, the impact of two World Wars... All these events and many more have come to pass under the gargoyles' watch.
To them, whole generations pass in the blink of a stony eye. I'm a gothic romantic at heart and I felt these guys deserved a vintage look. It's sort of my homage to my elders.
I think I'm 100% in love with all 4 photo's!
ReplyDeleteHi Christy. Thanks for sending me a link to your photo blog. This is really cool! For some reason these gargoyle photos remind me of looking through my old Viewmaster. The second photo in particular has quite a 3-D feel to it. The backdrop of the city looks like a matte painting. Almost like this was a scene from an Alfred Hitchcock movie, but they shot it all on a soundstage. Lastly, I really like your commentary on the ever watchful gargoyles. It is amazing to think about what they have witnessed.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing to think of these guys up there for all that time. Who else was standing right where you were standing looking at them 500 years ago? Crazy!!
ReplyDeleteThese are awesome! I was just there over the New years holiday and so wanted to go up in the towers to get closer to the gargoyles. Missed the last entry by 5 minutes! AArgh!!!
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