Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-26
ARTISTIC IMPROVEMENTS UNDER WAY AT GREAT
GLENWOOD INN IN HEART OF CITRUS DISTRICT
MISSION STORY TO BE ILLUS
TRETED IN PAINTINGS
Important Addition to the Well
Known HosteIry Already on
Way to Completion

An important commission now being
executed in Southern California is the
series of paintings bv George M. Stone
for the Glenwood Mission Inn at River
side. This caravansary is known as
one of the show places of California,
and the additions and Improvements
now under way will make it more than
ever an objective point for travellers
and seekers for the picturesque.
In the planning of the inn the idea
of its owner, Frank N. Miller, has
been to recall by its architecture and
the entire environment, the old mission
days of the land, and Arthur Benton,
the architect, has brought the sugges-
tion of this period into every detail.
EVERYWHERE about the place, under the
charming pergoas, in the old adobe
which was the original inn, throughout
the gardens in the most unexpected
places, one comes upon rare old lndlan
baskets and crude objects telling their
own story of the primative period OF
such interest to the traveller or stu
dent.
The important addition made this sum-
mer is destined to contain the music
room and banquet hall of the inn, as well
as a novel art gallery. This new wing IS
built in the form Of a monastery, some
what of a composite of the most in
teresting architectural details OF the
various missions. Opening out of the
east end of the great lobby few steps
lead down to the music room which is
to be as simple and dignified an in
terror as the name monastery implies.
Organ RectaIs Planned
The only decoration for this room
will be the panels representing music
to be placed above the stage, occupy
ing the far end of the room. 1t Is the
idea of the artist to make these panels,
not the allegorical representation of
every playhouse, but to picture music
as 1t existed among the Indians or in
the life of the mission fathers.
At this end of the room will be placed
the $4,000 organ which is to be heard
each evening at the organ recttals
which will be a feature of the place.
It is also the Intention to present once
each season on this stage mission
play, reviving the traditions of the
past and making 1t a yearly event
which will be in itself worthy of a pill
grimage to this spot.
Another short flight of steps leads
down to the banquet hall, where the
one prominent wall decoration will de-
pict a barbecue, giving an unusual op-
portunity for effective mural decora-
tion and carrying out the central idea
of the scheme of decoration. The most
important work of the artist, however,
is in the series Of paintings for the five
chapels opening off from the north side
of the music room and connected by a
cloister
Mission Tales Illustrated
Each of these chapels will contain
paintings illustrating scenes in the life
of some one of the saints whose names
are inseparable from the history of
California. In one of these the prin-
cipal painting will show San Fran
cisco preaching to the birds, with the
Hr,,1 nd
smaller paintings will reproduce some
of the most interesting corners of that
mission In another chapel Santa Bar
bara is the principal figure, standing
on the heights overlooking the mission
and the sea.
pero Sierra will contain two scenes from
his life, one showing him superintend-
ing the building of the mission, with
his plans before him and groups of
Indians at work, giving the artist the
opportunity for depicting figures in
action, in which he particularly de-
lights. The other painting, bearing the
title "El Canine Real" shows the padre
on the desert travelling from mission to
mission, absorbed in the book he car
ries, obivious alike to the dust sWirltng|
about his feet and the shimmering
elusive beauty of the far distance,
where reappear the white stretches of
the kings highway yet to be traVersed.
Los Angeles mission appears as de-
tail of the painting representing Our
LADY, Of the Angels San Juan Capris-
trano appears in one of the military
epochs of his life, and San Diego is
shown at work in the field, plowing
with his oxen.
Capistrano Most interesting
Mr. Stone finds the mission of San
Juan Capistrano the most interesting
of those he has visited in his search
for local color and one of the canVases
he brought back with him is a very
good example of what he is able to
make of the fascinating subjects with
which he has to deal. This is intended
as one of the subordinate paintings
which adorn the walls of the chapels
and is called "The Bells of San Juan
Capistrano." It is view from the in
terror of the mission, the sunlight fall
ing on the adobe and across the rough
stone floor, to be repeated in a sub
dued radiance on the under side of the
arches, where hang the historic bells,
and lighting the somber robe of the
Franciscan father, whose presence
brings the human interest which is con-
spicuous in all of the work of this
artist.
The missions of San Gabriel and San
Fernando also are represented in the
series with characteristic views from
each.
The work required to carry out THIS
entire series to adequately illustrate the
life of the missions will extend over
some two years time, and during this
period Mr.. Stone is to occupy studio
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