Wayne Thiebaud (1920–2021)
1962
Oil on canvas
Candy Counter is one of Wayne Thiebaud’s earliest large-scale still lifes of everyday modern American subjects. It crystallised his new approach of working with greater clarity and directness. As was typical for the artist, he painted from memory rather than with the subject in front of him. He started by defining the counter with painted lines of vibrant colour before building up the composition with thick brushstrokes. He carefully depicted the tempting selection of lollipops, candied apples and slabs of nougat. However, the counter is surprisingly sparse and stark. As one writer commented, ‘Despite their sweet and infectious child-like pleasure in vernacular Americana, paintings by Thiebaud reveal a bitter pang of isolation and melancholy in pop culture.’