Wayne Thiebaud (1920–2021)
1962
Oil on canvas
Depicting the cheeses and baloney sausages on offer at a deli counter, Wayne Thiebaud painted so thickly that every brushstroke is accentuated. He explained that he wanted to emphasise different textures to explore ‘what happens when the relationship between paint and subject matter comes as close together as I can possibly get them.’ At the same time, Thiebaud liked how the obvious traces of the brush exposed what he called the ‘trick’ of painting itself. He also paid great attention to perfecting the calligraphy of the numbers on the price cards, a nod to his admiration for the skill of commercial artists, with whom he trained.