Planche VI – Portail de Saint-Trophime d'Arles (Plate VI – Entrance of Saint Trophime of Arles)

Art Historical Context

Step into the sun-drenched south of France through *Planche VI – Portail Saint-Trophime dles*, a captivating 1853/1854 photograph by pioneering French photographer Charles Nègre Capturing the ornate Romanesque portal of the Church of Saint-Trophime Arles—a UNESCO World Heritage site famed for its intricate biblical sculptures—this image freezes a moment of medieval grandeur. Nègre, a master of early calotype processes, documented such architectural treasures amid France's 19th-century push to preserve national heritage through photography. Printed as a photogravure in 1982 by André Jammes, this work exemplifies a photomechanical technique prized for its deep, velvety tones and fidelity to the original negative. Measuring 25.3 × 21.3 cm (image) on a larger 50.5 × 40.9 cm sheet, it invites close inspection of carved apostles and symbolic motifs glowing with historic resonance. Nègre's precise composition highlights photography's emerging role as an artistic and documentary medium, bridging Romanticism and modernism. A generous gift to the National Gallery of Art from Hans P. Kraus, Jr., this piece celebrates how 19th-century lenses immortalized Europe's past, offering visitors a timeless portal to Arles' spiritual legacy.