Just northwest of the famous Santa Monica Pier, a romantic rendezvous of an enlisted seaman and his blonde companion is casually observed by a man that we believe to be no other than the artist David Burliuk, painted into his own work. He was renown for his top-hatted attire and shock black hair. Santa Monica and Venice beaches had become prominent destinations for the personnel of the American Armed Forces, with dance halls, amusement rides and the Big Bands in full operation in the early 1940s.
The bluff top vantage point of Palisades Park remains with its cozy fences and benches, an abrupt end to the land approaching Pacific Coast Highway today and in his painting the North Beach Resort tourist facilities are displayed in its then-fading grandeur. The pier and Venice had taken away the dominance of the 1895 structure, with was partially removed and converted later. Still, the mix of Spanish architecture and practical angled roofs and antenna with roof top patios is present.
The layered texture of the brilliant sunset and localized fauna builds the scene warmly. The shore wash hold white froth created as a true watercolorist, with the paper showing through. The reportedly dynamic Burliuk is no less so with his choice of colors with a mix of purple, red and yellow in the sky. The artistry present is charmingly simple of a small town on the verge of blooming into the megalopolis of Los Angeles.
