A vantage point is used in linear perspective as a stationary point from which a viewer is related to the object/figure being rendered. It can be thought of as the point of reference from which all things in the artwork can be related to. The vantage point may be very high or very low. High = bird's-eye-view.
It is one of them, if not the most important figure because gothic sculpture includes many christian arts such as the gothic cathedral,passion of christ, and the virgin and child ivory carving.