"Goofy" might be a better descriptor, but these seabird statues lining an outer wall of an Ecuadorian cathedral are called "grotesques"—the architectural term for a statue ornamenting the side of a building. But hang on…don"t we call those "gargoyles"? Not exactly. Gargoyles are simply grotesques that boast a specific, practical feature: spouts that convey water from rain gutters away from the building.
A grotesque scene
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Angkor, Cambodia
-
Travel Sunday: On the Ganges in Varanasi, India
-
Haaga Rhododendron Park
-
Cherry blossoms spring to life
-
Bow Bridge in Central Park, New York City
-
First day of autumn
-
Jackie Robinson Day
-
International Day for Monuments and Sites
-
Two rocks and a heart spot
-
In the Navajo Nation for Code Talkers Day
-
Albion Falls, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
-
The rainbow connection
-
Speed skaters in the Gangneung Oval, Pyeongchang, South Korea
-
And they’re off!
-
A festival of lights in India
-
An impactful day
-
A wassailing we go
-
A dying breed of tree thrives in an American park
-
The Lena Delta Wildlife Reserve in Siberia, Russia
-
A view fit for a queen
-
Wat Sri Sawai in Sukhothai Historical Park, Thailand
-
Burns Night
-
Poinsettia Day
-
Bear cubs roughhouse on Siblings Day
-
Hawai i Volcanoes National Park at 106
-
Celebrating the Day of the Dead
-
Travels to the Oregon deep
-
It’s Canada’s national day
-
In the path of the pronghorn
-
Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, China