Francis was a favorite subject in Swanson's art, precisely because he expressed a kinship with the world that reverenced and defended the dignity of everything.Īttentiveness and surprised wonder at everything and everyone he encountered were what fed Swanson's extraordinary art and his faith the canvasses communicated the way he lived and saw the world. If he had not paid attention to the birdsong, Juan Diego would have never come upon the hill where la Virgen de Guadalupe waited for him.
The moment brought to mind two of Swanson's loves and two stories that have much to do with him - Juan Diego and St.
'I've never heard that bird before,' he added with the assurance of someone who speaks the language of birds. I peered out the window, straining to hear what he heard. 'That's a new song,' he told me with his characteristic gentleness. One afternoon last spring, as John August Swanson and I sat in his tiny kitchen, he stopped speaking and listened intently.
