Paul Thiebaud Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of Wayne Thiebaud: Selected Paintings and Works on Paper with a reception on Saturday, May 17, 2025 from 3-5 pm. On view will be eighteen paintings and works on paper spanning fifty-two years of Wayne Thiebaud’s oeuvre.  The exhibition includes notable imagery of sweet and savory edibles, landscapes, cityscapes, figures and still lifes showcasing a range in subject matter and the utilization of different media. The exhibition will be on view through July 3, 2025. 

Throughout his eight-decade career, Wayne Thiebaud was fascinated with revisiting similar imagery and employing various media such as oil, acrylic, pastel, watercolor, ink and graphite as a means to explore form, color and texture.  In pushing paint to create a triangular piece of pie as viewed in Pie a la Mode (n.d.) or the geometrical topography of the Sacramento River Delta landscape in Irrigation Pond (1995/2015), Thiebaud’s thickly impastoed surfaces enhance the viewer’s visual experience while also imparting a sense of weight and materiality.  In contrast, the synchronized union of ink and watercolor in Pies & Cakes (2005) results in a sinuous surface of graphically contrasting brushwork.

Pastel was first used in the sixteenth century because of its innate light reflective properties, and in the same tradition, Thiebaud’s pastels imbue each composition with tactile texture while delineating contour in line and shape as seen in Ballpark Franks (2006), Mickey Mouse Cake (2005) and the hand-colored etchings, Cone (2014) and Apartment Hill (1986).  To amplify the powdery medium, Thiebaud applied pastel onto a toothy canvas in River Delta with Boat (2001-2002) to capture gradations in farmland and the winding river.

Thiebaud’s skill as a master draughtsman is evident in Bumping Clowns (2015/2016). Precise fine lines with subtle shading are achieved with graphite and colored pencils to control the intricate details of his subject matter.  Further exploring Thiebaud’s use of varied media, prints and hand-colored etchings are also on view, exemplifying him as a consummate printmaker through works such as his delicate Daffodil, stylized Meringues (a.k.a. Cut Pies), large-scale Beach Glasses, and a slice of Lemon Meringue topped with multihued layers of watercolor.  Throughout, these compositions reflect an ardent curiosity while simultaneously transforming the subject matter of each into captivatingly tactile experiences.

Born in Mesa Arizona, Wayne Thiebaud (1920-2021) earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Art from Sacramento State College (now California State University, Sacramento, CA).  Staying in Sacramento, Thiebaud taught art at Sacramento Junior College (now Sacramento City College) and at the University of California, Davis.  Throughout his career, Thiebaud received numerous awards, prestigious honors, and recognition for his works, most notably the National Medal of Arts, academician of the National Academy of Design and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.  His work is represented in major private and public collections nationally and internationally.

In March 2025, the Legion of Honor in San Francisco opened Wayne Thiebaud: Art Comes from Art featuring more than 100 paintings and is on view through August 17, 2025.  This fall The Courtauld Gallery in London is mounting Wayne Thiebaud: American Still Life, the first museum show of Thiebaud’s works in the United Kingdom. The exhibition will run from October 10, 2025 through January 18, 2026.