Rancho Church, New Mexico

Anna Katharine Skeele
Rancho Church, New Mexico
Oil on canvas, c. 1930
20 x 27 inches
Gift of the artist
1962.001

Rancho Church, New Mexico depicts San Francisco de Asis Mission Church in Rancho de Taos, built between 1772 and 1816 by Franciscan fathers. It was a favorite subject for artists who came to the area, among them Ansel Adams and Georgia O’Keeffe. Skeele emphasizes the massiveness of the structure, which fills the composition and dwarfs the figures nearby. The fluffy white clouds form a halo around the church.