Pie Rows

Wayne Thiebaud

1963 · Brush and black ink, graphite, and watercolor on paper · Modern and Contemporary Art

For a short while in the early 1960s Thiebaud's still lifes of regimented rows of pies, cakes, and candies were categorized as Pop Art (though they were later labeled "realist"). Intrigued by the geometry of their basic shapes (rectangles, ellipses, circles, and triangles), he also saw poignant associations with the American way of life—"the idea of 'Pie in the Sky' . . . Mom and Apple Pie, pie throwing contests, pie eating contests"—and the ritualistic display of food in restaurants and supermarkets. As he said in the same 1969 interview, "Pop art made use of these commonplace objects—whether you like them or not, they are intrinsically elegant, beautiful—one can use the terms 'classical' or 'perfect.' They are icons."

Artist

Wayne Thiebaud

Date

1963

Medium

Brush and black ink, graphite, and watercolor on paper

Department

Modern and Contemporary Art

Credit line

Purchase, Friends of the Department Gift and matching funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, 1978