Steps Leading to Chancel Rail and Detail of Railing, San Luis Rey Mission Church
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, gouache, pen and ink, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 24.4 x 35.5 cm (9 5/8 x 14 in.) Original IAD Object: Width of steps inside rail:c.38'. Height of rail: 28 1/2"
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.6534
Art Historical Context
In the heart of California's Mission San Luis Rey, one of the most intact Spanish missions founded in 1798, Howard H. Sherman's 1936 watercolor *Steps Leading to Chancel and Detail of Railing captures the elegant simplicity of its sacred architecture. This precise rendering highlights the chancel rail's graceful curves and sturdy proportions—measuring about 38 feet wide across the steps and 28 inches high—inviting visitors to appreciate the craftsmanship of early 19th-century Franciscan builders who blended European Baroque influences with local materials. Created as part of the Index of Amer...