Like many other artists, Baumann helped to preserve the picturesque historic monuments of Spanish New Mexico, such as the small Sanctuary at Chimayo, the subject of this print. Money was raised and the chapel was purchased from private owners and returned to the Catholic Church.

Confronted by the brilliant colors of the Southwest, Baumann’s palette became immediately more intense. He said that an artist, used to the colors of the East, should throw his paints in the Mississippi while crossing the bridge.