FAUSTO BELLINO TASCA
The design and decorative painting for the interior of Our Lady of the Rosary Church in San Diego, California, was a major commission in Fausto Tasca’s career. His ambitious plan for the church interior included two major murals; The Crucifixion and The Last Judgment, as well as several ceiling medallions depicting the mysteries of the rosary. The walls of the nave are adorned with figures of saints and grisailles of cherubs and angels. He also designed and executed all the stained glass windows in the church.
The very well-known sculptor, Carlo Romanelli, obtained the commission to sculpt the statues of the Sacred Heart and the Blessed Virgin. Fausto Tasca painted the statues in a realistic style. These two statues still occupy niches to the left and right of the altar.
All the larger paintings for Our Lady of the Rosary were completed in Tasca’s studio in Los Angeles. Tasca painted these works on large sheets of canvas. When they were complete, he transported them to San Diego and installed them in the church. Tasca had perfected a technique for applying painted canvas to stucco walls using a special glue. He
selected this method so that his paintings could be removed for restoration. He was also concerned that his work could be removed in the case that the building for which they were intended was later renovated or demolished.