Question

St. Trophîme at Arles has a rich Roman heritage. Which of the following most accurately describes the frieze above the freestanding columns of the portal?
a.It recalls the medallions from the Arch of Constantine.
b.It recalls the sculptured fronts of late antique sarcophagi.
c.It recalls the narrative bands from the Column of Trajan.
d.It recalls the panels from the Arch of Titus.

Answer 1

Answer: I would contend that the right answer is the B) It recalls the sculptured fronts of late antique sarcophagi.

Explanation: Just to elaborate a little on the answer, it can be added that resorting to examples from antique sarcophagi seems to be very logical, due to the rectangular shape of the frieze at St. Trophîme and to the fact that it is set against the wall of the building and that it features a series of figures placed next to each other, almost as in a procession. Most Roman sarcophagi had the shape of a rectangular box and they were only decorated on the front and the two short sides. In addition, late antique sarcophagi started to feature Christian iconography, so the artists working at St. Trophîme surely found them useful as models.