American Gothic Painting Grant Wood Meaning

The figures were modeled by wood s sister nan wood graham and their dentist dr.

American gothic painting grant wood meaning.

Wood insisted that as a loyal iowan he did not mean to paint a caricature only show his appreciation. However the american gothic sparked a backlash in the artist s hometown of cedar rapids iowa as locals were displeased about being portrayed as pinched grim faced puritanical bible thumpers. The story behind the painting is the subject of thomas hoving s book. It depicts a farmer standing beside his daughter often mistakenly assumed to be his wife.

Wood submitted american gothic the name a nod to the house s architectural style to a 1930 competition at the art institute of chicago. The painting is named for the house s architectural style. American gothic is a 1930 painting by grant wood in the collection of the art institute of chicago. Although wood had intended for some time to do a portrait of midwestern types it is known that the house in eldon iowa inspired the painting wood called american gothic because only the house is shown in surviving preliminary sketches for the painting.

His american gothic painting is iconic. The meaning of the portrait which features two solemn faced individuals is something that has been debated since its creation. He was inspired to paint what is now known as the american gothic house in eldon iowa along with the kind of people fancied should live in that house. Artist grant wood might have thought his satire of small town midwestern america was funny and right on target but many art critics initially found his painting american gothic to be mean spirited and insulting toward the simple a low blow toward the hardworking men and women of the midwest living through the tough economic times during the great depression.

The grant wood painting american gothic is a touchstone of american culture depicting an upright midwestern family on the farm. Few paintings are as iconic as grant wood s american gothic the piece s staging is so embedded into american culture that even its countless parodies and homages are instantly recognizable. American gothic won a. Among the most influential 20th century painters of the american midwest grant wood is famous for his unique contribution to regionalism c 1925 45 the american reaction to the country s dependence on european modern art which flourished during the interwar period.

American gothic is a painting created by grant wood in 1930. Overnight the painting became a hit. Some critics derided his regionalist art as influenced by pernicious political theories.