Sketch of the Week: San Xavier

Last February I was out in Tucson on assignment, and while there, I visited San Xavier Del Bac, a Spanish Colonial Mission that was built over 200 years ago. It is a fantastic example of the Spanish Baroque architecture in America, with its interior bursting with color, meticulous detail, and fervent emotion. I first visited the church as a teenager, but at that time, unfamiliar with the Spanish vein of Catholicism, I found it overwhelming and garish. As an adult, I've developed a much greater appreciation for its rich aesthetic.

I sketched the exterior while I was preparing to leave. There were congregants praying in the church, so I didn't sketch the interior, as I didn't want to disturb the sacrality of their experience.