American gothic and other fables barbara haskell, glenn. Jul 12, 2005 the story behind grant wood s american gothic the painting is a touchstone of american culture, depicting an upright midwestern family on the farm. American gothic and other fables, an attempt to broaden and complicate woods legacy, coming to the whitney from. Mexican antiquity in the american imagination, 18201915 2004. Dont forget to login to your account so you can save all your drawings and send them to people. The models on the painting were wood s sister, nan, wearing a colonial print apron mimicking 19th century americana, and wood s dentist, dr. John stones ekphrastic poem entitled, american gothic, lends insight to the iconic american gothic painting by grant wood. Back home in america, grant asked his sister and his dentist to pose for what would become a uniquely american work of art and the founding iconic image of regionalism. Almost everyone knows grant woods american gothic, the hypnotic painting of a pitchforktoting farmer and his daughter. It will be occupied by men who had, in the first place, a special relation with the land, men who are capable of regionalism. Analysis of american gothic by grant wood among the most influential 20th century painters of the american midwest, grant wood is famous for his unique contribution to regionalism c. Woods american gothic 1930 is perhaps the most highly recognizable, reproduced, and referenced work of 20th century american art, and a seminal work of realist painting. The work ostensibly portrays a farmer and his daughtermodelled.
Yet wood intended it to be a positive statement about rural american values, an image of reassurance at a time of great dislocation and. American gothic was the first painting by grant to receive attention outside of iowa. Analysis of american gothic painted by grant wood essay sample. Shown is a farmer and his spinster daughter in front of their house. Wood was an active painter from an extremely young age. A companion to american gothic wiley online library. When looking at the painting you can see two persons that obviously appear as how two persons would have looked like in the 1930s. Susan wood addresses headon some of the debates and myths. American gothic has become arguably the most parodied painting in history. Steven zucker grant wood, american gothic, 1930, oil on beaver board, 78 x 65. A new critical companion to the gothic traditions of american culture. American gothic has become an american icon, but regionalism itself would never be thought of as a significant movement in the canon of us art history. American gothic is a painting by american artist grant wood in 1930.
Grant woods american gothic, 1930, part of grant wood. Feb 05, 2017 american gothic has become arguably the most parodied painting in history. Grant woods american gothic painting the portrait of the two iowan farmers, one with a pitchfork is housed in the chicago art institute, where i visit 23 times a year. Try searching on jstor for other items related to this book. Jun 27, 2017 the 1930 oil painting will be the centerpiece of the exhibition grant wood.
There isnt too much text but the words mixed with ross macdonalds friendly pictures on each page give an accurate view of woods life and his american gothic painting ive always thought it could also be called american exceptionalism as it visually sums up the ideals of that philosophy. Wood s inspiration came in his decision to paint what is known as the american gothic house along with the kind of people i fancied should live in that house. The art institute of chicago grant wood, american 18911942 1930 oil on beaverboard 29 14 x 24 58 in. Color in the painting and print it out, save it to your library or email it to your friends.
American gothic and other fables, at the whitney museum of american art in new york through june 10. More than american gothic a careerspanning show at the whitney argues that wood is far more complicated than his reputation as the sentimental bard of an idealized rural life. American gothic and other fables, an attempt to broaden and complicate woods. Art criticism worksheet write your first and last name todays date art period 1, 2, 3, or 4 your grade level 9 th, 10, 11 th, 12 now we will practice researching famous artists. Grant wood s american gothic, 1930, part of grant wood. American gothic is a 1930 painting by grant wood in the collection of the art institute of.
This all changed when american gothic was shown at a chicago art exhibition in 1930. Wood was born in rural iowa, 4 mi 6 km east of anamosa, in 1891. New book explores grant woods tumultuous time at ui fyi. Grant devolson wood february, 1891 february 12, 1942 was an american painter best known for his paintings depicting the rural american midwest, particularly american gothic, an iconic painting of the 20th century. There isnt too much text but the words mixed with ross macdonalds friendly pictures on each page give an accurate view of wood s life and his american gothic painting ive always thought it could also be called american exceptionalism as it visually sums up the ideals of that philosophy. American gothic was first exhibited in 1930 at the art institute of chicago, where it is still located. Up to 1930, grants work was wellknown within his community and had received awards at iowa state fairs, but few people outside of iowa knew of his art. Grant woods 18911942 american gothic 1930 is indisputably a prime. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers. Analysis of american gothic painted by grant wood essay. He painted it in 1930, depicting a farmer standing beside a woman who has been interpreted. This is a digitized image of the original painting american gothic that grant wood, a master artist of the twentieth century, created in 1930 and sold to the art institute of.
American gothic is, by a very wide margin, his most effective picture although dinner for threshers, from 1934, a long, low, cutaway view of a farmhouse at harvesttime, might be his. Joan stahl american artists in photographic portraits from the peter a. Grant devolson wood february, 1891 february 12, 1942 was an american painter best known for his paintings depicting the rural american midwest, particularly american gothic 1930, which has become an iconic painting of the 20th century. American gothic is nowhere as fortunate in the talent department as psycho was, or actually as decent as his other works. American gothic is a 1930 painting by grant wood in the collection of the art institute of chicago. Wood was inspired to paint what is now known as the american gothic house in eldon, iowa, along with the kind of people i fancied should live in that house. I grew up seeing this painting, and knew a bit about woods iowan farmers roots and his traveling to europe to explore different art styles. When wood died, his estate went to his sister, nan wood graham, the woman portrayed in american gothic. American gothic and a grant wood retrospective are coming. An analysis of the picture painted by grant wood american gothic was painted by grant wood in 1930. Lyndon and lady bird, ronald and nancy, bill and hill, barack and michelle, barbie. Mar 26, 2016 grant wood 18911941 was a prophet not of a nation but of a region.
The hard, cold realism of this painting and the honest, direct, earthy quality of its subject were unusual in american art. Jun 06, 20 grant wood, american gothic and other fables. If asked to describe this painting, most would recount a woman and a man standing with a pitch fork. But to many fans of the pictureand its many parodiesthe rest. A gothic arched window in an iowa farmhouse, however, caught woods attention, connecting his european experience with american reality, and inspired what would become not only his signature painting but also a seminal work of the american regionalist school, american gothic. American gothic is one of the most famous painting in american art and one of the few images to reach the status of cultural icon, along with da vincis mona lisa and edvard munchs the scream. The story behind grant wood s american gothic the painting is a touchstone of american culture, depicting an upright midwestern family on the farm. Grant devolson wood february, 1891 february 12, 1942 was an american painter best known for his paintings depicting the rural american midwest, particularly american gothic. I grew up seeing this painting, and knew a bit about wood s iowan farmers roots and his traveling to europe to explore different art styles.
When she died in 1990, her estate, along with wood s personal effects and various works of art, became the property of the figge art museum in davenport, iowa the world war ii liberty ship ss grant wood was named in his honor work. A practitioner of american scene painting, wood painted views of the midwest in a realistic style mixed with satire. See more ideas about american gothic, grant wood and american gothic parody. Analysis of american gothic painted by grant wood essay sample an analysis of the picture painted by grant wood american gothic was painted by grant wood in 1930. His most famous work, american gothic, is an american icon. His mother moved the family to cedar rapids, after his. The largest collection of essays in the field of american gothic. Recognize the significance of the american gothic house. The artistic focus was from artists who shunned city life, and rapidly.
Impressionism, cubism, and abstract art didnt reflect his view of the world. Holmes murders in the turn of the century chicago, the novel stays i try to collect bloch books when i can. Regarding american gothic, what makes the painting balanced. Grant wood, born in iowa in 1891, was the overallclad, all american artist from the heartland who created one of the worlds bestknown and mostparodied paintings, american gothic, a portrait of a pitchforkgrasping farmer and his dour daughter. Stone city, iowa, 1932 example of regionalism art grant wood 1930 stone city, iowa oil on composition board x cm joslyn art museum, omaha ne grant wood american painter of the rural midwest and closely associated with the regionalism movement. The 1930 oil painting will be the centerpiece of the exhibition grant wood. The art gallery of chicago is the place where american gothic was displayed for the very first time and it is the very gallery that still keeps the painting. American gothic culture edinburgh university press books. Lyndon and lady bird, ronald and nancy, bill and hill, barack and michelle, barbie and ken, homer and marge, kermit and. Wood s best known work is his 1930 painting american gothic, which is also one of the most famous paintings in american art, and one of the few images to reach the status of widely recognised cultural icon, comparable to leonardo da vincis mona lisa and edvard munchs the scream. Look at his paintings pictured in any book or magazine about him.
When she died in 1990, her estate, along with woods personal effects and various works of art, became the property of the figge art museum in davenport, iowa the world war ii liberty ship ss grant wood was named in his honor. Steven biel explores the strangely enduring life of americas most popular painting. It wasnt until he stumbled upon gothic art that grant recognized something familiar. The story behind grant woods american gothic the painting is a touchstone of american culture, depicting an upright midwestern family on the farm.
Grant wood 18911941 was a prophet not of a nation but of a region. Why that came to be is not easy to explain, a combination of academic squabbles, personality clashes, and the movement of art history that led to a general forgetting of. It depicts a farmer standing beside his daughter often mistakenly assumed to be his wife. Prize awards in the annual american exhibition, bulletin of. The picture with the grim father and daughter is overflowing with details that indicate the severity, puritanism and retrograde of the people depicted. American gothic has been interpreted as both a critique and a celebration of rural life, and it seems to.
American gothic is a painting by grant wood in the collection of the art institute of chicago. A companion to american gothic features a collection of original essays that explore americas gothic literary tradition the largest collection of essays in the field of american gothic. Tripp evans is professor of art history at wheaton college in massachusetts. This companion surveys the traditions and conventions of the dark side of american culture its repressed memories, its anxieties and panics, its fears and horrors, its obsessions and paranoias. Grant wood s american gothic painting the portrait of the two iowan farmers, one with a pitchfork is housed in the chicago art institute, where i visit 23 times a year. Reinterpreting the life and art of grant wood iowa research online. He received his doctoral degree in the history of art from yale university and has served as a visiting lecturer at yale, wellesley college, and brown university.
In search of visiting a fine piece of art, in person, i visited the. Groundbreaking study of the american gothic artist that sheds new light on the role that his. Grant s art celebrated hardworking americans who finally saw themselves depicted in fine art. Grant wood american gothic and other fables the new yorker. Answer each question completely, thoroughly and in your own words. The models on the painting were woods sister, nan, wearing a colonial print apron mimicking 19th century americana, and woods dentist, dr. This catalog accompanying an exhibition at new york citys whitney museum offers a deeper study of woods oeuvre by whitney curator haskell and several art historians and scholars. American gothic is a picture book biography that explores the birth of the famous painting, the movement that made it possible, and the artist who created it all. American gothic, often understood as a satirical comment on the midwestern character, quickly became one of americas most famous paintings and is now firmly entrenched in the nations popular culture. We will be discussing the artist grant wood and the paintings he created. The wonderfully queer world of american gothics grant wood.
American gothic was painted by grant wood essay 646 words. Woods inspiration came in his decision to paint what is known as the american gothic house along with the kind of people i fancied should live in that house. Woods straightforward style of representation is restrained, almost flat, creating a taut surface in contrast to the underlying subtle persistence of emotion. This is a digitized image of the original painting american gothic that grant wood, a master artist of the twentieth century, created in 1930 and sold to the art institute of chicago in november of the same year. Grant wood, born in iowa in 1891, was the overallclad, allamerican artist from the heartland who created one of the worlds bestknown and mostparodied paintings, american gothic, a portrait of a pitchforkgrasping farmer and his dour daughter.
In grant woods appraisal, parallels among the paintings various transactions mirror the socioeconomic. Find art you love and shop highquality art prints, photographs, framed artworks and posters at. Ever since it met the public eye in 1930, the painting american gothic has elicited admiration, disgust, reverence, and ridicule and has been reproduced hundreds of thousands of times, in every medium. National museum of american art and dover publications, inc.
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