Restoration Drawing 1935 - 1942

A. Regli, born in 1855, made this restoration drawing using watercolor and graphite. Its depiction of a mission underscores the complex relationship between colonialism and cultural preservation. The missions, while serving religious purposes, were also instruments of Spanish colonization, leading to the displacement and cultural suppression of Indigenous populations. Regli’s choice to document a mission through the act of restoration raises critical questions about whose history is being preserved and at what cost. The drawing invites us to consider how restoration can sometimes mask the violence inherent in colonial projects, effectively sanitizing a painful history. The drawing prompts a deeper reflection on the ethics of preservation and the importance of acknowledging the full, often contradictory, histories embedded within these sites. It encourages us to consider how we can approach such sites with a commitment to truth-telling and reconciliation.