Wayne Thiebaud. Delights

i Wayne Thiebaud (1920-2021), Cake Window, 1964, Etching Plate size: 12.5 x 15 cm, Collection of the Wayne Thiebaud Foundation © Wayne Thiebaud/VAGA at ARS, NY and DACS, London 2025

10 Oct 2025 – 18 Jan 2026
Gilbert and Ildiko Butler Drawings Gallery, Floor 1

In 1964, Wayne Thiebaud created a portfolio of 17 prints, entitled Delights, in which he returned to the favoured still-life motifs found in his paintings and which made his name in the early 1960s: ice cream cones, rows of cakes, gumball machines and many of the other objects of everyday American life. However, these subjects look very different rendered in print, on a small scale and in black and white. As Thiebaud told his publisher, ‘When you change something, you change everything.’ Thiebaud was keen to experiment with different techniques and media, and Delights was his first foray into printmaking, a technique he returned to throughout his long career.

Presented in the Gilbert and Ildiko Butler Drawings Gallery, the display of these 17 wonderful prints complements The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Wayne Thiebaud. American Still Life. It will feature related works on paper by Thiebaud as well as hand-coloured etchings, to appreciate fully his range as an artist.

This display is curated by Dr Karen Serres, Senior Curator of Paintings, and Dr Barnaby Wright, Deputy Head of The Courtauld Gallery and Daniel Katz Curator of 20th-century Art.

The programme of displays in the Drawings Gallery is generously supported by the International Music and Art Foundation, with additional support from James Bartos.

This display is included in the Permanent Collection or Permanent Collection + Exhibition ticket.

The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Wayne Thiebaud. American Still Life will be on display in the Denise Coates Exhibitions Gallery, Floor 3 from 10 Oct 2025 – 18 Jan 2026

10 Oct 2025 - 18 Jan 2026

10:00 – 18:00 (last entry 17:15)

Somerset House  The Courtauld Gallery  The Gilbert and Ildiko Butler Drawings Gallery 

Courtauld Friends go free

Highlights

Wayne Thiebaud (1920-2021), Cake Window, 1964, Etching Plate size: 12.5 x 15 cm, Collection of the Wayne Thiebaud Foundation © Wayne Thiebaud/VAGA at ARS, NY and DACS, London 2025

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a painting by Wayne Thiebaud, depicting a display of various cakes arranged neatly on individual white cake stands. The cakes are rendered with thick, creamy layers of paint, emphasizing their rich textures and colors. Each cake is distinct, with different designs and decorations, such as a heart, spirals, cherries, and floral motifs. The composition is orderly, with the cakes placed in a grid-like formation, creating a sense of both abundance and simplicity. The background is a pale, almost white surface, which contrasts with the vividness of the cakes, drawing attention to their details. The overall effect is both whimsical and slightly nostalgic, evoking the feel of a classic bakery display.

Exhibition, Exhibitions, The Courtauld Gallery, What's on Highlights

Wayne Thiebaud: American Still Life

10 Oct 2025 - 18 Jan 2026

The first ever UK museum show devoted to the work of Wayne Thiebaud (1920-2021), now considered to be one of the greatest and most original American artists of the 20th century.

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