This original work depicts the American actor Clifton Webb. David Park consistently and throughout his life chronicled his own evolutionary inventive process. Park was a pioneer of the Bay Area Figurative Movement in painting during the 1950s.

This specific illustration is undoubtedly an early rendering of a youthful Clifton Webb nevertheless and in spite of its simplicity in rendering the subject matter it is an equal reminder of the fluidity and as such willingness to dissociate himself from conventional structure and traditional form, his hand is assured in the seriousness, depth and insight he clearly exemplify and characterize in this work.

The subject

Webb Parmelee Hollenbeck (November 19, 1889 – October 13, 1966), known professionally as Clifton Webb, was an American actor, dancer, and singer remembered for his roles in such films as Laura (1944), The Razor's Edge (1946), and Sitting Pretty (1948). Webb was Oscar-nominated for all three.He was known for his stage appearances in the plays of Noël Coward, including Blithe Spirit, as well as appearances on Broadway in a number of successful musical revues.