Mission San José de Guadalupe: A Vibrant Journey and Storied History
Nestled beneath the rolling hills of Fremont at the southeastern edge of San Francisco Bay, On the Way to Mission San Jose captures a welcoming scene of parishioners and visitors arriving for Mass at this historic sanctuary.
"I wanted to emphasize the rolling mountains at the southeast end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the city of Fremont to show the relationship of the landscape to the mission buildings," artist Howard recalls.
Key Details & Historical Highlights:
Faithful Reconstruction: Destroyed by the 1868 Hayward Fault earthquake and meticulously rebuilt in 1985, the painting honors the restored Spanish-inspired architecture, featuring a prominent tower, stark white adobe walls, red clay roof tiles, and a lush plaza.
Sacred Entrance Cemetery: Situated prominently off the main plaza, the mission cemetery honors the missionaries, local heritage families, and Indigenous peoples who built and sustained the community.
The Dominican Sisters & Historic Olives: Depicted in front of the church are two Dominican Sisters. Arriving in 1891 to care for orphans, the sisters tapped into the property's 300 olive trees to produce olive oil. The painting captures these historic 230-year-old trees in the background, a legacy that continues today, with olive oil sales benefiting Catholic education through the sisters' Vision of Hope foundation.
Mission San José de Guadalupe: A Vibrant Journey and Storied History
Nestled beneath the rolling hills of Fremont at the southeastern edge of San Francisco Bay, On the Way to Mission San Jose captures a welcoming scene of parishioners and visitors arriving for Mass at this historic sanctuary.
"I wanted to emphasize the rolling mountains at the southeast end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the city of Fremont to show the relationship of the landscape to the mission buildings," artist Howard recalls.
Key Details & Historical Highlights:
Faithful Reconstruction: Destroyed by the 1868 Hayward Fault earthquake and meticulously rebuilt in 1985, the painting honors the restored Spanish-inspired architecture, featuring a prominent tower, stark white adobe walls, red clay roof tiles, and a lush plaza.
Sacred Entrance Cemetery: Situated prominently off the main plaza, the mission cemetery honors the missionaries, local heritage families, and Indigenous peoples who built and sustained the community.
The Dominican Sisters & Historic Olives: Depicted in front of the church are two Dominican Sisters. Arriving in 1891 to care for orphans, the sisters tapped into the property's 300 olive trees to produce olive oil. The painting captures these historic 230-year-old trees in the background, a legacy that continues today, with olive oil sales benefiting Catholic education through the sisters' Vision of Hope foundation.
