Wayne Thiebaud

Known for: paintings of cakes, candy, and American diner food

Wayne Thiebaud spent years as an animator, cartoonist, and commercial illustrator before turning to painting, and his paintings of cakes, pies, candy, and diner food — made with thick, swirling paint that mimics the frosting it depicts — combine the impasto of Abstract Expressionism with the flat clarity of commercial design. He was associated with Pop Art but rejected the label, describing himself as a traditional still-life painter. He continued painting into his late nineties.