Wayne Thiebaud: American Still Life

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. i Wayne Thiebaud (1920-2021), Cakes, 1963, oil on canvas, Gift in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art from the Collectors Committee, the 50th Anniversary Gift Committee, and The Circle, with Additional Support from the Abrams Family in Memory of Harry N. Abrams © Wayne Thiebaud/VAGA at ARS, NY and DACS, London 2024

10 Oct 2025 – 18 Jan 2026
Denise Coates Exhibition Galleries, Floor 3

Wayne Thiebaud (1920-2021) is now considered to be one of the greatest and most original American artists of the 20th century. Over the course of his long life, working mainly in Sacramento, California, Thiebaud developed a unique style of painting to express his vision of modern American subjects.  

This exhibition at The Courtauld Gallery will be the first ever museum show of his work in the UK. It will present Thiebaud’s remarkable, vibrant and lushly painted still-life’s of quintessentially post-war American subjects, from diner food and deli counters to gumball dispensers and pinball machines. These are the paintings with which Thiebaud made his name in the USA in the early 1960s.  

Thiebaud considered the everyday objects of American life to be a vital subject for contemporary art, and he saw his work as continuing the radical legacy of earlier still-life paintings by Chardin, Manet, Cézanne and others. Thiebaud believed in the importance of commonplace objects that might otherwise be overlooked or considered kitsch. His work turns hot dogs, lemon meringue pies and glossy cream cakes into the stuff of profound modern painting.   

The exhibition will feature rarely lent works from major museum collections in the USA, including the National Gallery of Art, Washington and the Whitney Museum of American Art, as well as the Wayne Thiebaud Foundation.  

Tickets go on sale in 2025.
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10 Oct 2025 - 18 Jan 2026

10:00 – 18:00 (last entry 17:15)

The Courtauld Gallery  The Denise Coates Exhibition Galleries 

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Exhibition The Courtauld Gallery What's on Highlights

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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.
Wayne Thiebaud (1920-2021), Cakes, 1963, oil on canvas, Gift in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art from the Collectors Committee, the 50th Anniversary Gift Committee, and The Circle, with Additional Support from the Abrams Family in Memory of Harry N. Abrams © Wayne Thiebaud/VAGA at ARS, NY and DACS, London 2024

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