ABSTRACT
The foundation of Franciscan life is the aspiration to live in imitation of Christ, of which Saint Francis was the veritable embodiment: from his rejection of earthly goods, to his evangelical mendicancy, to his reception of the stigmata. As accomplished academic theologians, the Franciscan friars in Upper California no doubt likewise shared an appreciation for the primacy of the sense of sight; it was their duty to lead the natives’ minds to God. Consequently, in the Franciscan churches of California missions, impressive paintings, lifelike sculptures, and decoration were employed to numinous effect on the indigenous population. As devout Franciscans, the friars in the Upper California missions also devoted themselves to the imitation of Christ and, by extension, to the imitation of their founding saint. As is substantiated by extant works of art in their mission churches, it appears the friars in Upper California agreed with Gabriele Paleotti and Francisco Pacheco in preferring pictorial clarity artworks that were easy to “read”.
