Pie Rows

1963

Not on view

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."

Artwork Details

Overview

Inscriptions and Markings

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: Pie Rows
Artist: Wayne Thiebaud (American, Mesa, Arizona 1920–2021 Sacramento, California)
Date: 1963
Medium: Brush and black ink, graphite, and watercolor on paper
Dimensions: 17 3/4 in. × 23 in. (45.1 × 58.4 cm)
Classification: Drawings
Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of the Department Gift and matching funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, 1978
Object Number: 1978.266
Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

More Artwork

By Wayne Thiebaud

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Suckers, state I, Wayne Thiebaud American, Lithograph — Suckers, state I
Multiple artists/makers
1968

Rose, from Recent Etchings I, Wayne Thiebaud American, Etching — Rose, from Recent Etchings I
Wayne Thiebaud
Parasol Press Ltd.
1979

Down 18th, from Recent Etchings I, Wayne Thiebaud American, Etching — Down 18th, from Recent Etchings I
Wayne Thiebaud
Parasol Press Ltd.
1979

Freeway Curve, from Recent Etchings I, Wayne Thiebaud American, Etching and aquatint — Freeway Curve, from Recent Etchings I
Wayne Thiebaud
Parasol Press Ltd.
1979

Downgrade, from Recent Etchings I, Wayne Thiebaud American, Etching — Downgrade, from Recent Etchings I
Wayne Thiebaud
Parasol Press Ltd.
1979

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