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Eugene Morahan — Santa Monica (Saint Monica)
Eugene Morahan

Santa Monica (Saint Monica)

1934

This monumental concrete sculpture depicts a robed female figure in serene, vertical composition, standing eighteen feet tall including its substantial base. Created by Eugene Morahan in 1934, the work represents Santa Monica, the Catholic saint after whom the city is named, rendered in the artist's characteristically simplified, dignified modernist style. The figure's elongated form and classical drapery convey spiritual contemplation while the austere concrete material emphasizes permanence and civic purpose. Positioned at the edge of Palisades Park overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the sculpture functions as both a religious memorial and an iconic landmark defining Santa Monica's seaside identity. The work exemplifies early twentieth century public art's ambition to create monumental civic symbols in simplified geometric forms. Wikimedia Commons (CC)

Medium
Concrete, 18 ft (incl. 5 ft base)

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About this work

Eugene Morahan, Santa Monica (Saint Monica), 1934

This monumental concrete sculpture depicts a robed female figure in serene, vertical composition, standing eighteen feet tall including its substantial base. Created by Eugene Morahan in 1934, the work represents Santa Monica, the Catholic saint after whom the city is named, rendered in the artist's characteristically simplified, dignified modernist style. The figure's elongated form and classical drapery convey spiritual contemplation while the austere concrete material emphasizes permanence and civic purpose. Positioned at the edge of Palisades Park overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the sculpture functions as both a religious memorial and an iconic landmark defining Santa Monica's seaside identity. The work exemplifies early twentieth century public art's ambition to create monumental civic symbols in simplified geometric forms. Wikimedia Commons (CC)

Medium
Concrete, 18 ft (incl. 5 ft base)
Year
1934
Seen at
Palisades Park, foot of Wilshire Blvd

Related themes

Vertical Form, Figurative Sculpture, Twentieth Century, Outdoor Art, Seaside Landmark, Monumental, Modernist, Public Art, Civic Landmark, Sculpture, Memorial, California, Santa Monica, Coastal Art, Palisades Park, Streamline Moderne, Neoclassical, Religious Iconography, Concrete, Iconic Statue