Five Architectural Easter Eggs Hiding on Gothic Cathedrals

The Darth Vader at the Washington Cathedral was the result of a competition for kids to submit drawings of possible grotesques and was highly publicized when it was carved, so I wouldnt necessarily call it an easter egg. But in any case, if anyone is interested, here are a couple other fun ones in the Washington Cathedral that are more easter egg like (put there by the artists of their own accord):

* On the North side, there is a grotesque that portrays a leering stone carver looking down on the girls school across the street, carved by a stonecarver to poke fun at one of his colleagues. Above it, another colleague carved a scolding Dean looking down on the leering carver

* What looks like a stray paint streak on the interior ceiling of the north transept is a rendering of Halley's comet which passed by in '86 when they were painting that ceiling

About 5 minutes walk from my office in Newcastle, UK is a cathedral building featuring a vampire rabbit.

http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-vampire-rabbit-of-new...

The hall in the naval college in Greenwich is beautifully painted. It was built as a hospital for seaman and the rich patrons commissioned some famous painter to decorate it. He painted himself into his painting with his cap out after he had trouble getting paid for his efforts.

The Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim has this interesting feature as well: https://radiojente.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/nidarosdomen-...

The story behind that were something along the lines of, according to legend, if Nidaros Cathedral ever were finished, Trondheim would be swept into the ocean by clay/land-slide, hence, there's a missing brick that'll never be laid.

The astronaut one was definitely a list stuffer. It was from 1992. Not sure why it's already in such poor shape? Looks quite old.

Though this is not Gothic, Michelangelo included a few easter eggs of his own in the Sistine Chapel painting of The Last Judgement:

> The Papal Master of Ceremonies, Biagio da Cesena, deemed the fresco outrageous, and more suitable for public baths or taverns than a chapel. (...) Michelangelo responded by making Minos, judge of the underworld, resemble Cesena. It’s an extremely unflattering portrait;

http://www.througheternity.com/blog/nudity-and-controversy-i...

I love these mistakes in gothic cathedrals

https://stainedglassattitudes.wordpress.com/2014/08/10/great...

There is also this one on the Freiburg Minster:

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5006/5296624387_c98a68ff69_b.j...