Chocolate Cake

1971

In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Room

View by appointment

Artist: Wayne Thiebaud born 1920
Medium: Lithograph on paper
Dimensions: Image: 445 x 330 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Purchased 1982
Reference: P07724

Catalogue entry

P07724 Chocolate Cake 1971

Lithograph 17 1/2 × 13 (445 × 330) on paper watermarked ‘Arches’ 30 1/8 × 22 7/8 (765 × 570), printed by Michael Knigin and published by Parasol Press, New York
Inscribed ‘Thiebaud 1971’ b.r. and ‘13/50’
Purchased at Sotheby's, Los Angeles (Grant-in-Aid) 1982

Wayne Thiebaud was well known in the sixties for his depictions in rich and bright colours of consumer food products, often in series. His images have always tended towards the impersonal and the matter-of-fact. ‘Chocolate Cake’ is a monochrome print in brown but in other respects is consistent with this approach. The work was originally proofed in black and a single copy of this state exists.

Published in:
The Tate Gallery 1982-84: Illustrated Catalogue of Acquisitions, London 1986