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SAN ANTONIO • Conservators and artists with Restoration Associates recently worked for a month in the Mission Concepción Church sacristy to remove layers of lime whitewash off the west wall, which revealed evidence of an existing fresco, possibly dating back to the 1750s.
The fresco depicts a canopy draped fabric painted in red with a scalloped valance at the top. The valance has tassels and another drape that hangs under the red drape. At the junction of the wall and ceiling, there is a triangle and floral stencil pattern that is similar to the carved design elements on the limestone facade of the mission. The fresco palette consists of the colors red, black, yellow-orange and off-white. There is also evidence of color found on the remaining three walls and ceiling. |
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Pam Jary Rosser of Restoration Associates described the efforts taken to stabilize and clean the historic fresco. Initially, the restoration specialists injected hydraulic mortar into the many voids in the design. Then, workers reattached loose paint flakes and stabilized the edges of plaster along the wall and ceiling. Lastly, the conservators dampened the wall with distilled water and then scraped off the lime wash with a scalpel. “We’re still scraping and doing more injections,” said Rosser. “It’s tedious work.”
The efforts, which have brought out the original cream color on the wall, took a team of three people four weeks while working eight hour days.
With more than $3 million raised to date, small-scale restoration work has begun at the missions. Most recently, the Immaculate Conception and St. Francis of Assisi paintings have been conserved and returned to the missions, as well as the current fresco work at Mission Concepción and the assessment of the Rose Window that is scheduled for this fall.
Somewhat complicating the effort at Mission Concepcion was the fact that, although all the rooms at the mission were thoroughly documented in 1932, the space currently undergoing renovation was not, according to Rosser. She suspects that because the area was whitewashed historians were not aware of the colorful frescos that were invisible underneath layers of dirt and debris. “This is the way churches were decorated throughout Spain and Mexico,” Rosser said. “Almost all the designs were drawn freehand or only using compass or ruler.” As evidence of that painting style, she noted that a vine painted along the roof line changes sizes and is not even as it follows the curvature at the top of the wall.
To educate the community on the history of the missions, Las Misiones is hosting the “Our Living History” Lecture and Culture Series that includes numerous activities conducted by leading experts where guests will have the opportunity to learn more about the history, architecture and archaeology of the missions, as well as the influence on Native American culture.
The second lecture in the “Our Living History” Lecture series is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 6, at Mission San Jose. Carolyn Peterson, principal at the Ford, Powell and Carson architectural firm, will discuss her recent study of the mission churches and proposed solutions to the challenges of the church stabilization and preservation. The first cultural event in the series will celebrate the mariachi Mass that has become a tradition at Mission San Jose with a festival of live music, food and mariachis at 11 a.m. on Sunday, April 24, at Mission San Jose.
For more information on this lecture and other upcoming events in the “Our Living History” Lecture and Culture Series, visit
www.lasmisiones.org. Las Misiones is a three-year, $15 million capital campaign created by the Old Spanish Mission, Inc., to raise voluntary contributions to preserve and restore the church structures of Mission San Jose, Mission Concepcion, Mission Espada and Mission San Juan. |