Neapolitan Meringue 1999

Wayne Thiebaud paints luscious cakes and pies with thick impasto in Neapolitan Meringue. I wonder, did he make this from life? I can imagine him building up the meringue with strokes of paint like stiff egg whites, layer by layer. Thiebaud is known for his high-key colors, the way he balances light and shadow and the geometric forms underneath. The slice taken from the cake reveals layers of chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla. The composition is simple: one cake on a plate, but the way he renders the texture and color makes it so appealing. There’s something so satisfying about the way the colors blend together, like a soft, sweet dream. It's like he wants to pull you into his world of delicious treats! Painters have long looked to each other’s work for ideas. Thiebaud looks back to Giorgio Morandi, and Chardin. But he also looked forward, helping inspire a generation of pop artists such as Andy Warhol. Artists are always having this conversation, inspiring each other across time and space. We can all be part of that too.