St. Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos
Original Photograph Negative: 1929
Artist: Ansel Adams
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More About the Image:
Ansel designated this image of an abode church just south of the Taos Pueblo, as ‘an experience of light.’ (LAA pg. 54) Beaumont Newhall would call the edifice southwestern motif Number 1, it famously having been the subject of a number of photographs and paintings. (AAM) The building was constructed in 1776 and Ansel referred to the structure as an example of ‘rigorous and simple design [while] the rear elevation defines this building as one of the great architectural monuments of America.’ (E pg. 91) This rear portion of the church is the subject of Ansel’s photograph here. He would go on to say that ‘the building is not really large, but it appears immense [with the organic buttresses seemingly] an outcropping of the earth rather than merely an object constructed upon it.’ (E pg. 91) Ansel communicated the significance of this image by including it as one of the variants in his last major project, The Museum Set.
So wrote Ansel Adams, whose photographs of the varied and rugged landscapes of the region have imprinted upon the imaginations of millions around the world. Beyond Yosemite and the High Sierra, the Southwest was one of Ansel’s best-loved regions of the country.In fact, it was a trip to Taos, New Mexico in the 1930s that led Ansel to cross paths with photographer Paul Strand, who helped inspire him to make photography his life’s work. The rest, as they say, is history.
When Ansel Adams traveled to New Mexico for his fourth time in April 1929, the majesty of the desert had already started to ingrain itself deep in his soul. During this particular trip, Ansel began to develop a lasting and very rewarding collaboration with feminist writer and bohemian Mary Austin. The artistic duet between Ansel and Mary in this particular case spawned the creation of “Taos Pueblo,” an exceptional project at the intersection of their two careers as photographer and writer.
