Mision San Francisco de Solano 

James Jones created this drawing of Mision San Francisco de Solano using graphite on paper. The image depicts a stark, simplified view of the mission, founded in 1823. Jones, an artist who died relatively young during World War II, likely produced this work during the 1930s. The style suggests the influence of the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project, which employed artists to document American scenes and historical sites during the Depression. The choice of subject matter reflects a broader cultural interest in celebrating and preserving the nation's past. California's missions, with their blend of Spanish colonial and indigenous influences, were often romanticized as symbols of a shared heritage, though this came at the expense of historical accuracy. This image serves as a reminder that artistic representations of history are always shaped by the social and political contexts in which they are created. To understand this work better, one might research the history of the WPA art projects and the cultural narratives surrounding the California missions during the 20th century.