San Juan Capistrano Mission Side Altar from the portfolio "Decorative Art of Spanish California" 1935 - 1942

This print from the portfolio "Decorative Art of Spanish California" uses soft hues of light blue, maroon, and tan to depict a side altar. The artwork has a flat, graphic quality, which makes me think about pattern-making and stencil designs. I imagine the artist carefully mapping out the composition, choosing where colors meet, and how they overlap. Perhaps they were thinking about ways to combine traditional motifs from Spanish California with a more modern, streamlined aesthetic. The curves of the petals and floral motifs suggest that it might have been quite meditative and perhaps frustrating for the artist to ensure these elements are balanced. You can almost feel the hand of the artist in the clean lines and considered color choices. It makes me wonder how this piece relates to other decorative arts from the same time period, and how artists continue to find new ways to interpret and reimagine historical designs. I think artists are constantly in dialogue, influencing each other across time and space.