American Gothic (painting)
"American Gothic" is a painting created by Grant Wood in 1930 that has become an enduring symbol of American culture. The artwork features a stern-looking Midwestern couple dressed in traditional attire, set against the backdrop of a gothic-style farmhouse. The male figure, inspired by Wood's dentist, prominently holds a pitchfork, which echoes the vertical lines of the farmhouse and symbolizes masculine roles in early American society. The female figure, modeled after Wood's sister, wears an apron that reflects feminine roles through its curvilinear designs.
Critics have noted the couple's aged and serious expressions, interpreting this as a representation of a pessimistic view of rural life. Wood was a key figure in the Regionalist movement, which sought to highlight rural America in contrast to the abstract modern art prevalent in urban centers at the time. "American Gothic" has achieved iconic status and continues to resonate within popular culture, often parodied and referenced due to its straightforward portrayal of American life. This artwork invites diverse interpretations about the identities and experiences of those living in the Midwest during the early 20th century.
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American Gothic (painting)
Identification Iconic painting of a rural midwestern couple
Painter Grant Wood
Date Painted in 1930
The Regionalist style of the 1930’s was sandwiched between abstracted and often inaccessible movements such as Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism. The painting American Gothic is often cited as the best example of Regionalism because of its simple style and return to early American ideals.
Grant Wood’s American Gothic has become a national icon. Wood’s inspiration for the painting came when he saw a gothic-styled farmhouse and attempted to envision the people who lived within it. The result of Wood’s vision is a painting depicting a midwestern couple clad in provincial attire. The farmer, modeled after Wood’s dentist, wears denim overalls and a jacket. The pitchfork he holds has a prominent position in the center of the image and repeats the rigid vertical lines on the farmhouse. The female figure, modeled after Wood’s sister, who has been interpreted as both the wife of the farmer and his spinster daughter, is wearing an apron over a modest blouse fastened high on her throat with a broach. The farmer’s rigid pitchfork is a reference to masculine roles in early American society, while the curvilinear designs on the woman’s apron and the plants over her shoulder refer to feminine roles.
The man and woman have dour expressions, and their faces are aged and haggard, characteristics that have caused critics and viewers to criticize Wood for providing a pessimistic and simplified view of American Midwest citizens. What perhaps increases this negative perception is that the painting is done in the Regionalist style of the 1930’s. As a member of the Regionalist movement, Wood, along with Thomas Hart Benton and John Steuart Curry, rejected the abstracted and modern art of the cities and instead celebrated the rural locations of the United States, which they viewed as the true representation of the country.
Impact
American Gothic is one of the few paintings in history to have achieved an iconic status and readily recognizable familiarity. The numerous parodies of this work suggest that it has touched a nerve in American culture, despite its seemingly simple subject. Exactly what about the painting people have continued to respond to is unclear. Perhaps it is that the couple, depicted in such a straightforward and undemanding style, represents the physical, spiritual, economic, and social aspects of Americans.
Bibliography
Biel, Steven.“American Gothic”: A Life of America’s Most Famous Painting. New York: W. W. Norton, 2005.
Corn, Wanda. “The Birth of a National Icon: Grant Wood’s American Gothic.” In Reading American Art, edited by Marianne Doezema and Elizabeth Milroy. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1998.