Dragon Corbel, Great Hall
2007 © Maxim Tabachnik
Archangel Michael Weighing SoulsGothic Arcades, Hôtel-DieuThe Damned in TormentChrist the JudgeGrotesque and Lion CorbelsStudents in the Hôtel-Dieu CourtyardCourtyard of the Hôtel-DieuThe Blessed Led to HeavenPortrait of Nicolas RolinLuis in the Courtyard of the Hôtel-DieuDragon Corbel, Great HallGuigone de SalinsThe Weighing of SoulsWedding CeremonyAngel with Donor ArmsSaint Eligius Healing the HorseThe Damned Cast into HellThe Virgin with Apostles Peter and JohnLuis in the Great Hall of the Hôtel-DieuChrist at RestPatron Inscription of the Sculle FamilySpire and Roofs

Dragon Corbel, Great Hall

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In the Great Hall of Beaune’s Hôtel-Dieu (15th c.), a ceiling beam ends in the carved head of a dragon, its jaws gripping the painted timber. Such supports, or corbels, carried structural weight while adding vivid imagery. The beast’s open mouth suggests menace and protection, blending medieval fantasy with moral symbolism in a place of healing and devotion.