Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Gilles: Front facade--bases and socles (page 2 of two pages)

(Note please: these images are arranged on this page as they appear on the facade from left to right.)



Bases of the central portal, right side: roundels with a centaur with a bow shooting a stag, with the lions and Samson, and with a nursing lioness

 
 

Lion socles of the central portal, right side

These socles match those on the left side under the apostles
 

Double socles of the central portal, right side: Left: Calling of David (north face); center: David killing Goliath (south face)

Both of these reliefs are a bit strange since they would be outdoor scenes, yet they are set against a channeled background. The scene with the calling of David even has trees and sheep.
 

Socles of right portal, left side: seated bears with men couching between them
 

Socle of right portal, right side


Return to page 1 for additional bases and socles on the left side of the church.


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.