NPS Image. San Antonio Missions Wall Art
Original work of Ernst Schuchard, courtesy of Daughters of the Republic of Texas Alamo Library, San Antonio. Colorful murals or frescos covered both the exterior and interior of the church and the convento (priest’s residence) at Mission Concepción and Mission San José. The Nature of FrescoFresco is one of the most permanent ways of decorating. Mineral pigment is applied to wet lime plaster, which absorbs the color. The paints used on the mission churches contained limestone and water and possibly goat’s milk as binders! As it dries, the plaster hardens back into limestone, and the colors soften into permanency.The Color of FrescoFour colors were used on the churches, yellow, red, black, and blue. Yellow is hydrated ferric oxide, or iron oxide also called ochre or sienna. Red is also iron oxide, also known as red ochre or burnt sienna. The oxides occur naturally in nearby sandstone formations and clay deposits. Iron oxide is also one of the oldest known pigments and has been used for that purpose in every major civilization. Black is likely a carbon pigment. The blue is more of a mystery, although was likely imported cobalt. Indigo was listed in mission inventories but it is not a mineral pigment, therefore unlikely used in the technique of fresco painting.
NPS Image The Art of FrescoThe art of frescoing was a trade taught to mission Indigenous residents. A design was created that could be transferred in one of two ways. One method was to make a pattern that was then perforated. Laying the pattern against the wet plaster, the perforations were pounced with the fine dust of charcoal to leave an impression. The second method was more common at Mission Concepción. Lines were scored in the wet plaster to outline the design. Then, in order to give each feature a colorful life, the mission artisans swiftly but carefully applied paint between these “guide” lines before the plaster dried. The art of frescoing was very tedious and time-consuming.The Purpose of FrescoWall art at the missions served several purposes. Some were used to highlight architectural features, others to hide construction flaws. Some were symbolic and provided a tool for teaching Catholicism to the native South Texans. Many were simply decorative. In any case, the art must have been quite impressive. Father Juan Morfi, a Franciscan friar who visited San Antonio Missions in 1778, gives us a hint of this when he wrote, “In a word, no one could have imagined that there were such good artists in so desolate a place.”
NPS Photo The Legacy of FrescoThe library at Mission Concepción exhibits the best known examples of frescos. Preservation in 2010 by the Catholic Church exposed additional artwork in the chapel and the baptistry located at the base of the two belltowers. In 2010, the Archdiocese of San Antonio and the parish undertook preservation of the frescos in the sanctuary and sacristy, uncovering even more original plaster and paint.When the park undertook to preserve the library frescos in 1988, an international renowned crew of art conservators tediously removed 250 years’ worth of dirt and nonoriginal plaster. To the surprise of many, the second eye, a mustache, and goatee were revealed on the ceiling sunburst! For decades, the only visible portions had been one eye and several rays. Legends labeled it the “Eye of God” or “All Seeing Eye.” With the appearance of the facial hair, historians now believe this was not a religious symbol, but rather a Spanish medallion. As is often the case, the meaning of some frescos remains a mystery. |
Last updated: February 13, 2024