American Gothic is one of the most famous paintings in American art. Iowa artist Grant Wood completed the picture in 1930. The subject of the painting is a farmer and his daughter posed against a farmhouse with a Gothic style window. The man and woman are plain people, the woman wearing an apron and the man dressed in overalls and holding a pitchfork. Wood painted the scene in a precise, highly detailed style that reflects the influence of Flemish painting of the 1400’s.
Wood painted American Gothic as a tribute to the rural American Midwest. The painting honors the Midwest for its strong religious values, symbolized by the Gothic farmhouse, and its work ethic. However, the painting aroused controversy when it was first exhibited. Some people believed that the painting was a satirical comment on the Midwest. However, Wood’s intent was to create an appreciative view of the virtues of his native Iowa.
Wood used his sister and his dentist as models for the painting. He painted the picture in oil on beaverboard. American Gothic hangs in the Art Institute of Chicago.
