Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Gilles: Front facade--Decoration and ornament





Channeled section of masonry

This lowest level of masonry continues across the facades as a sort of base for the apostle figures. Above it are a floral molding and molding with meander pattern.
 

Acanthus relief panels under the portal lintels--from the left to the right portals

 

Left: vertical panels of acanthus on center portal splay; center: acanthus architrave above the apostles

 

Capitals--some of these are Roman

 

Atlantes capital
 

Left: cornice of left portal, right side: palmettes with alternating bears' heads; center and right: cornices with profile heads and animals

 

Cornice upheld by corbels with heads--left: ram's head and eagle; center: lion, ox, caryatid, floral palmette

 

Eagle capital, corner of main portal



Works consulted or quoted:
Whitney S. Stoddard. The Facade of Saint-Gilles-du-Gard: Its Influence on French Sculpture. Middletown, Conn: Wesleyan UP, 1973.

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© 2007 Mary Ann Sullivan. I have photographed (on site), scanned, and manipulated all the images on these pages. Please feel free to use them for personal or educational purposes. They are not available for commercial purposes.