A Gift of Angels: The Art of Mission San Xavier del Bac (review)

This handsome book is the culmination of the author’s many years of study of one of the most important Mexican colonial buildings in the United States. Fontana’s first book about the building and site was Biography of a Desert Church: The Story of Mission San Xavier del Bac (Tucson, 1961). In the present volume, he provides the known facts about this Franciscan building erected between 1780 and 1793, which replaced an earlier Jesuit church, as well as fresh information on the church and especially on its decoration. His method is to guide the reader through the building, with the help of plans and photographs, to discuss the paintings that cover the walls and the sculptures in riches and altarpieces.

Following the introduction, the book is organized by areas of the building, as a visitor might walk through them. This is a good way to think about buildings and the works made for them, as it enables the reader to understand the relationships between the church and its artworks. For art historians, Fontana’s approach to the art and its iconography sometimes lacks context. There are selections of iconographic comparisons for each work that are usually interesting, but sometimes puzzling. Fontana does note the existence of similar sculptures in other churches built by the Franciscans toward the end of the eighteenth century in Mexico. He also provides useful information about the processes of restoration of the church over the years.

The visual materials that complement the text will be very useful for anyone interested in this church and the others related to it on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. The plans of the building are especially helpful. The text and illustrations will encourage scholars to examine more closely the complex history of Bac as a Jesuit and Franciscan site on the frontier. The sculpture is a good case in point, because it is clear that the pieces are from different periods and are not homogeneous. Some came from Mexico City, others from elsewhere in Mexico. Others were made locally, and some have mixed origins. Local art production also included wall paintings that abound at San Xavier. Unfortunately, some of these have been repainted or greatly restored. However, with recent discoveries of wall paintings in the region, scholars should be able to link the different sites, especially those relevant to the period of Bac’s construction and decoration. This is a useful and visually impressive book (as well as one that is reasonably priced).