Wayne Thiebaud

Allan Stone Galleries, New York
Acquired by the present owner from the above in March 1967

This work is in very good condition overall. The surface is bright and fresh. The sheet is window matted. The sheet is hinged at the top corners to the backing board. There are artist's pinholes in all 4 corners. There is some time-staining to the sheet, particularly in the area visible in the window mat. There is some minor discoloration intermittently in the margins from previously adhered tape with some minor associated adhesive residue. There are scattered media accretions in the margins, due to the artist's working method, which are not visible in the current frame. Framed under glass.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

"By some alchemy...Thiebaud does not seem to be working with oil paint at all, but with a substance composed of flour, albumen, butter and sugar." (Exh. Cat., San Francisco, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Wayne Thiebaud, 1985, p. 46) 

Wayne Thiebaud’s Cakes No. 1 from 1967 depicts a mouth-watering scene of a store window full of sugary delicacies in a moment of sweet serenity. The sumptuous confections are neatly arranged on cake stands in an imaginary bakery shop window, beckoning viewers to enter and consume.  Lovingly sketched treats tantalize the viewer, and the only thing stopping the viewer from reaching out and devouring one of Thiebaud’s sweets is the window-pane.  Thiebaud’s seductive still life compositions capture the energy of a singular moment through a painterly touch, and the intense contemplative study of nostalgic symbols of American life. As Thiebaud explains, "I'm interested in foods generally which have been fooled with ritualistically, displays contrived and arranged in certain ways to tempt us or to seduce us or to religiously transcend us." (Ibid., p. 27)

Food of various kinds, ranging from sugary pies to diner offerings, were the subject matter of Thiebaud’s first New York solo show at Allan Stone Gallery in April of 1962, which introduced Thiebaud to the New York art scene. Cakes No. 1 was executed a few years later in 1967, just one year before Thiebaud's important 1968 solo exhibition that originated at the Pasadena Art Museum and traveled extensively, rocketing Thiebaud to national recognition as an important American artist. 

The opulence of Thiebaud’s luscious and carefully rendered bakery display in Cakes No. 1 is central to the tangible appearance of the layered cakes and pies. In addition to the thickly applied pastel, Thiebaud further defines form and space through his use of dramatic cerulean blue raking light that illustrates his acute sensitivity towards the beauty of illumination and shadow. Combined with the serenely poised composition, the accentuated shadows give the cakes an uncanny weight and presence.

Rather than painting from life, Thiebaud conjures images from his mind and long-ago memories, resulting in almost dreamlike, utopian scenes. "Working from memory, I tried to arrange [the objects] in the same way that an art director arranges things...I tried to be more careful, tried to be more refined and interesting in terms of relationships." (Ibid., p. 35) Thiebaud recognizes the power that cultural memory and tradition hold in America, and Cakes No. 1 appears as a souvenir of the most delicious possibilities that the imagination can offer.