Cut Meringues 1961

Wayne Thiebaud painted these ‘Cut Meringues’ with oil on canvas, and the way he’s handled the paint is just so luscious. I mean, look at the surface! Thick impasto, each stroke deliberate, building up these cakey forms like a sculptor. The colors, too, are delectable. He’s not just painting what he sees, but what he feels, almost like a kid playing with globs of paint. Take the lower layer of that meringue in the centre. The way he’s swirled the yellow and brown together, it’s almost good enough to eat. There’s a generosity in Thiebaud’s work, a sense of abundance and joy that feels so utterly Californian. He reminds me of Giorgio Morandi in a way, that same repetition of form but somehow with a kind of heightened sweetness. Art doesn’t have to be serious all the time, it can be playful too. Just like these meringues, it can be a delightful treat for the eyes.