Romance of the Bells: The California Missions in Art Review

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Romance of the Bells: The California Missions in Art ReviewHighly recommended.
128 thick, almost card-quality, hard-bound, sewn-in-signatures pages. 95 excellent color plates. 25 B&W illustrations. It's the kind of high quality book production for which the Irvine Museum is deservedly known. This book was published in conjunction with a joint exhibit with the San Juan Capistrano mission. Together with independent lenders and the mission collection itself, the Irvine Museum showed many of its mission-themed paintings from its own superb collection of California art.
The exhibit's theme (and this book's) was the missions of California, founded from roughly the time of the American Revolution continuing through the first third of the 19th Century. These communities started as Spain's response to a perceived Russian competition for the continent's Pacific coast and ended with their destruction by the short-lived Mexican governance of California. Albeit brief, the missions' time was very influential upon the history of the state. (Socially and politically, there wasn't a lot else going on, I suppose.) This book's illustrated history is only affirmative; you won't find any accusations of cultural genocide, small pox or the like. It can form one, important yarn to be woven into the larger tapestry describing California, woven together with the Gold Rush, the coming of the transcontinental railroad, World War Two and the aviation industry, etc.
The text, obviously amply illustrated, is organized approximately into a half dozen expert essays. Two by the Irvine Museum's Jean Stern are rather general; one about "Spanish California", another about "Art in California: 1880 to 1930", these dates corresponding with the museum's acquisition parameters (including art about California, or some objective subject other than just an artist's self-absorption). Yet another Stern essay is a walk along the illustrated paintings, from 1890 to 1930, with a short description, brief history and artist pocket bio for each. Norman Neuerburg wrote a companion essay in the same format, but dealing with earlier works, from 1786 to 1890.
Also included are two longer essays more focused on the history of the missions. One recounts the beginning of each of the 21 missions attributed to California. This should be interesting to California residents because (as the padres intended) most live within a short drive of at least one. Until you seriously visit at least that one, you really haven't studied enough California history. The second mission essay is devoted to Mission San Juan Capistrano. Here, the book delves deeply into the story of just one archetypical mission, that one more at hand to Southern California and the state's preponderance of residents.
So, how's the art? Much of it is really excellent; first-class California Impressionism by first-rate artists. Included are intimate landscapes about the missions by the likes of Joseph Kleitsch, Donna Schuster, Guy Rose, Franz Bischoff, etc. Many paintings can be enjoyed further because they bring to each mind something specific and personal. Perhaps friends were married there. One painting by Kleitsch, "Curiosity" 1914, has been a favorite of mine, not just because it is beautiful, not just because of the mission garden background but because of the two young girls depicted in the foreground snooping through the artist's painting kit. They look to be almost exactly the age of my mother and aunt, who later became artists themselves. Kleitsch had a welcome sense of humor.
Is all of the work excellent? Well, it is at least competent and at least relevant to the mission history. However, even though as Shakespeare (and others) have said, "...comparisons are odious" I'm afraid that some art is better and if you've seen it, you can't get it out of your (little, snobby) mind. For example, "The Stairway, Mission San Gabriel", by Deakin and shown in the book, is both lovely and an excellent, historical illustration of the building and architecture of the missions. And, it's better by far than anything on my walls. But, I've seen photos of John Singer Sargent's "Staircase in Capri" and of his "Ricordi di Capri". You too can see these on the Internet, for example at jssgallery.org. And, once you've seen them...
In sum, this "Romance of the Bells" book is both excellent and a good buy.Romance of the Bells: The California Missions in Art Overview

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