Artist: Cadorin, EttoreTitle: Father Junipero Serra
Location: South side of Los Angeles St. btwn Aliso and Alameda Sts., Los Angeles (adjacent to two 101 Freeway on-ramps across from El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument)
Owner: El Pueblo de Los Angeles Monument, 845 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
Medium: Bronze
Date of Manufacture: 1931 (Original cast in 1930)
Date of Installation: Original installation: August 26, 1934. Later moved to present location
Foundry or Fabrication: California Art Bronze Foundry, Los Angeles
Dimensions: H: 8'9" x W: 2'2" x D: 2'4. Base: H: 5'8" x W: 3'8" x D: 3'8"
Plaque: 2 plaques on front of concrete pedestal. One in English, one is Spanish
Inscriptions: Sculpture: Left Side of bronze base: E. Cadorin/ Santa Barbara, Calif. Back of bronze base: Calif Art Bronze Fnry. LA Base: Father Serra 1713-1784/Born on the island of Majorca off the coast of Spain, Father/ (biographical info...)/ The statue was erected by the Knights of Columbus in 1932 and/was dedicated on the Anniversary of Father Serra/Death on August 28, 1784.
Siting: The sculpture is mounted on a tiled concrete plaza. There are overhanging trees, planted approximately twenty-five feet from the figure. Birds regularly roost on the top of the figure. Because of the tall pedestal, only the bottom section of the sculpture is easily accessible by the public, as evidenced by the graffiti on the concrete base and bottom of the bronze.
Description: The sculpture was originally cast in 1930 for Statuary Hall at the Capitol Building in Washington DC. This authorized reproduction was cast in 1931.
The figure of Father Serra is depicted standing, with a cross in his right hand and a model of Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmel in Carmel in his left hand. Father Serra is depicted with his head titled back, looking at the cross. The figure is cast in hollow bronze. The surface was most likely originally patinated dark brown and black. The figure is welded onto a shallow bronze pedestal.