National Cathedral - 'Darth Vader' grotesque modern installation

Washington National Cathedral includes a carved grotesque on its northwest tower that resembles the Star Wars character Darth Vader; the piece was added in the 1980s as a contemporary grotesque installed during a fundraising campaign. The figure is one of several modern grotesques and carved details incorporated into the cathedral’s Gothic-style fabric and is widely noted in guides to the cathedral’s stonework and modern additions. It remains a documented example of contemporary iconography used in a historic ecclesiastical installation.