The elaborate and beautiful western portal ([Fig. 75]) is fortunately well preserved. It has the appearance of having been added in front of the plainer wall of the nave, and is thus generally stated to be of more recent construction than the nave, but we believe that the portal is much more likely to be part of an older building, which has been preserved in the re-construction of the nave. Portals being generally highly ornamental features, were frequently so preserved. We have met with good examples of this at Notre Dame des Doms and at Tarascon, and others will occur as we proceed. The central arch is almost insensibly pointed; but whether intentionally or accidentally it is difficult to say,—most likely the latter, from its being so indistinct. This porch is probably an imitation on a small scale of the much grander one of St Gilles (to be referred to immediately). The engaged pillars, with their carved caps and bases so strongly akin both to classic and Romanesque work, stand on a high stylobate approached by a wide flight of steps. The space between the pillars is formed into a series of niches, bordered on each side with an enriched pilaster and filled with the figure of an apostle or an early saint. The sculpture of these figures, although Roman in general character, shews a leaning towards Byzantine design, especially in the rich carving of the jewels and ornaments on the dresses. The tympanum over the central doorway, which is divided into two openings with a central shaft, contains the figure of Christ in glory surrounded with the emblems of the four evangelists, and in the soffit of the arch are two tiers of half length adoring angels. On the lintel are sculptured the twelve apostles seated; while the frieze on the right hand of Christ contains the just, clothed and received by Abraham, and that on the left the unjust, represented as naked and being dragged by a demon with a chain backwards through flames. The leaf, egg, and other enrichments are quite classic, while the modillions supporting the cornice of the gablet over the porch have the usual Romanesque character. This porch strikes one at a glance as being of a totally different style from the body of the church. The latter belongs, as already mentioned, to the reformed Cistertian style of the twelfth century, while the former is in the older and more florid Provençal style of Romanesque, although probably earlier in the same century.
But the most delightful structure connected with this very interesting church is the cloisters. The oldest portions of these belong to the commencement of the twelfth century. The four arcades enclosing the cloister garth are complete. That adjoining the church wall (the north side) is the oldest, while the eastern side (represented in the sketch Fig. 76) is not much later in date. The other two sides are Gothic restorations of the thirteenth century.
The two first galleries are splendid specimens of the florid style of Provençal art. They are constructed with piers of considerable size and solidity, which occur at the angles and at regular intervals, the intermediate spaces being filled with round arches resting on coupled columns.
The roof is covered with a barrel vault, built with carefully wrought arch stones, and strengthened with boldly moulded transverse ribs thrown between the solid piers and consoles on the inner wall. The latter and the string course between them are about two feet higher than the cornice on the side of the arcade from which the vault springs, thus giving an awkward shape to the transverse ribs. This arrangement probably arose from the original construction of the roof, which was composed of tiles laid on the outside of the vault, and formed a “lean-to” against the church, like that of the cloisters
FIG. 76. CLOISTERS, ST TROPHIME, ARLES. (Eastern Arcade.)
of Mont-Majour, to be treated of presently. In the thirteenth century, when the two other sides of the cloister were restored, the outer wall was raised so as to convert the sloping roof into a level promenade, furnished with stone seats along the parapet.
The angle piers are so designed as to receive the springing of three transverse ribs—one at right angles across each of the adjoining galleries, and one diagonally under the line of the junction of the two barrel vaults. The intermediate piers are strengthened with an external buttress in the shape of a square classic-looking pilaster, fluted and provided with a capital imitated from the Corinthian. The piers are all adorned with sculptured figures of large size. Those in the original work are well preserved, having been cut in the solid, while the statues in the two Gothic arcades, which were executed in separate stones, have been removed and destroyed. The coupled columns and caps are all executed in grey marble, and the latter are amongst the finest examples of the “storied” carving of the period, every cap containing a subject from sacred history. The wall of the church next the north cloister contains a beautiful Romanesque arcade, with fluted pilasters ([Fig. 76].))