The artwork titled “Around the Cake” was created by artist Wayne Thiebaud in 1962. Crafted using oil as the medium, it belongs to the Pop Art movement and is categorized as a still life. The dimensions of the artwork are 56.2 cm in height by 71.2 cm in width. It is currently housed at the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, United States.
“Around the Cake” by Thiebaud is a visually appealing depiction of a central, round cake surrounded by smaller triangular slices placed individually on plates. The cake stands out with a thick, creamy texture, emphasized by the artist’s impasto technique, where the oil paint is applied heavily, giving the artwork a three-dimensional appearance. This tactile quality draws the viewer’s attention to the frosting and the solitary decorative piece that crowns the cake. The palette is relatively subdued yet harmonious, consisting of soft pastels that suggest a gentle light casting over the composition. The orientation of the slices in relation to the cake suggests both a sense of order and a moment of celebration, as if the slices are perhaps being offered to guests. The artwork conveys the joy and simplicity found in everyday objects, a common theme in Thiebaud’s work and a characteristic trait of Pop Art, which often elevates the mundane to the level of fine art through its representation.