2618: Gargoyles vs Grotesques Feb 14, 2022

People will often be confused between the differences of gargoyles and grotesques. A gargoyle is only a type of grotesque, and is a statue for the specific purpose of moving drain water away from walls. Without a statue, such a device would just be a spout. Without the function of moving water, the statues are known as 'grotesques'. These statues, which often depict monsters, take their name from the Latin 'grotto', which is a type of painting style notable for its obscene imagery, painted in caves or in private homes usually. 'Gargoyle' instead comes from the French 'gargouille' (throat) because it moved water as a pipe, and is related to 'gargle'.