Beach Profile

David Park, Beach Profile, 1953, oil on canvas, 33 ³⁄₈ x 29 ³⁄₄ in. (84.8 x 75.6 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Edith S. and Arthur J. Levin, 2005.5.58

Artwork Details

Title: Beach Profile
Artist: David Park
Date: 1953
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: 33 ³⁄₈ x 29 ³⁄₄ in. (84.8 x 75.6 cm)
Credit Line: Bequest of Edith S. and Arthur J. Levin
Mediums: oil
Mediums Description: oil on canvas
Classifications: Painting
Subjects: Figure group
Landscape — beach
Object Number: 2005.5.58
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2005.5.58

Artwork Description

In Beach Profile Park has reoriented a traditional beach scene ninety degrees, upending the normal orientation of sea and sand. This spatial distortion, which eliminates horizon and sky, reinforces the dramatic contrast in scale between the landscape and the profile. While the distance seems great, the lengthening shadow cast by the small figure on the beach touches the observer’s shoulder, suggesting a connection. The ambiguous relationship between the figures and the truncated space create a sense of mystery.

Modern Masters: Midcentury Abstraction from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2008