Wayne Thiebaud
American, 1920 - 2021
Morton Wayne Thiebaud (November 15, 1920 – December 25, 2021) was a celebrated American painter renowned for his vibrant depictions of everyday objects such as pies, lipsticks, and ice cream cones, as well as for his landscapes and figurative paintings. Though often associated with the pop art movement due to his fascination with mass culture objects, Thiebaud's early works actually predate those of classic pop artists.
Thiebaud was born in Mesa, Arizona, to Alice Eugenia and Morton Thiebaud. The family relocated to Southern California shortly after his birth, where Thiebaud spent much of his childhood in Long Beach. Raised in a household affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he grew up under the guidance of his father, who held various professions from Ford mechanic to real estate agent.
During his formative years, Thiebaud gained artistic experience through a summer apprenticeship at Walt Disney Studios, where he contributed to animations featuring iconic characters like Goofy and Pinocchio. Later, he furthered his art education at the Frank Wiggins Trade School in Los Angeles before enrolling at San Jose State College and ultimately earning his degrees from Sacramento State College in the early 1950s.
Thiebaud's career took off as he ventured into teaching at Sacramento City College and later at the University of California, Davis, where he became a fixture until his retirement in 1991. His artistic style, marked by rich pigments and exaggerated colors with crisp, defined shadows reminiscent of advertisements, began to emerge during his time in New York City in the 1950s, where he was influenced by abstract expressionists like Willem de Kooning and proto-pop artists such as Robert Rauschenberg.
By the early 1960s, Thiebaud had his first significant exhibitions in San Francisco and New York, gaining wider recognition with his unique approach to painting. He was notably featured alongside luminaries like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein in the groundbreaking "New Painting of Common Objects" exhibition at the Pasadena Art Museum in 1962, which helped solidify his place in the pop art movement.
Throughout his career, Thiebaud's paintings evolved beyond just consumer objects to include landscapes, cityscapes, and figurative works, all characterized by their meticulous detail and vibrant color palette. His commitment to painting, dedication to his craft, and influence as a teacher left an indelible mark on the art world.
Thiebaud's personal life included two marriages and a close-knit family that also included his son Paul Thiebaud, who followed in his footsteps as an art dealer. Morton Thiebaud passed away at the age of 101 at his home in Sacramento, California, on Christmas Day in 2021, leaving behind a legacy as a master painter whose work continues to captivate audiences globally. His contributions to art, particularly his unique blend of realism and abstraction, ensure his enduring influence in the pantheon of American painters.
Thiebaud was born in Mesa, Arizona, to Alice Eugenia and Morton Thiebaud. The family relocated to Southern California shortly after his birth, where Thiebaud spent much of his childhood in Long Beach. Raised in a household affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he grew up under the guidance of his father, who held various professions from Ford mechanic to real estate agent.
During his formative years, Thiebaud gained artistic experience through a summer apprenticeship at Walt Disney Studios, where he contributed to animations featuring iconic characters like Goofy and Pinocchio. Later, he furthered his art education at the Frank Wiggins Trade School in Los Angeles before enrolling at San Jose State College and ultimately earning his degrees from Sacramento State College in the early 1950s.
Thiebaud's career took off as he ventured into teaching at Sacramento City College and later at the University of California, Davis, where he became a fixture until his retirement in 1991. His artistic style, marked by rich pigments and exaggerated colors with crisp, defined shadows reminiscent of advertisements, began to emerge during his time in New York City in the 1950s, where he was influenced by abstract expressionists like Willem de Kooning and proto-pop artists such as Robert Rauschenberg.
By the early 1960s, Thiebaud had his first significant exhibitions in San Francisco and New York, gaining wider recognition with his unique approach to painting. He was notably featured alongside luminaries like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein in the groundbreaking "New Painting of Common Objects" exhibition at the Pasadena Art Museum in 1962, which helped solidify his place in the pop art movement.
Throughout his career, Thiebaud's paintings evolved beyond just consumer objects to include landscapes, cityscapes, and figurative works, all characterized by their meticulous detail and vibrant color palette. His commitment to painting, dedication to his craft, and influence as a teacher left an indelible mark on the art world.
Thiebaud's personal life included two marriages and a close-knit family that also included his son Paul Thiebaud, who followed in his footsteps as an art dealer. Morton Thiebaud passed away at the age of 101 at his home in Sacramento, California, on Christmas Day in 2021, leaving behind a legacy as a master painter whose work continues to captivate audiences globally. His contributions to art, particularly his unique blend of realism and abstraction, ensure his enduring influence in the pantheon of American painters.
