Grant Wood is one of America’s most famous artists because of his iconic 1930 painting American Gothic. Some people today still may not know Grant Wood’s name or even the name of the painting, they always recognize American Gothic when they see it. This painting is known as a classic show of American character. Represented by a farmer and his daughter in front of their gothic styled home.
Grant Wood was born on February 13, 1991 in Anamosa, Iowa. When his father died in 1901 Grant and his family moved to Cedar Rapids. He then took art lessons from local artists while he was attending high school. Later Wood would teach close to Cedar Rapids while he worked at a silversmith shop. Wood’s regionalism style is a realist modern art movement where …show more content…
Before this painting he was all but ignored. None of Wood’s other paintings were ever as successful as American Gothic. Soon after he submitted American Gothic into the Art Institute of Chicago for a competition and the painting won the Norman Wait Harris bronze medal. The Institute then purchased the painting for $300. This was Wood’s first big art sell and his first prize for any work he had done. American Gothic was soon being copied in newspapers but Wood received a hostile response when it was printed in the Cedar Rapids Gazette. The townspeople who were reading the paper were furious that they were being depicted as "pinched, grim-faced, puritanical Bible-thumpers". Wood defended himself saying that his goal was never to make fun of anyone. That the image is just his own personal ideals of Americans. American Gothic did make Wood an identifiable artist, but with recognition came negative criticisms. His rise of popularity was fast and after his death his fall was just as …show more content…
In a country that was caught up in the economic depression, Wood’s stoic couple personified the values of America and the determination needed to survive. People could relate to the painting. The farmer was standing confidently with his pitchfork defending his home. This was something many people were doing during the depression trying to defend what they owned. Then after a few years American Gothic’s success dropped and was out of the public eye for a decade. When the civil rights began American Gothic took another go round for interpretation. Some people thought it had become a symbol of right wing and even racist America. The actual meaning behind the painting always seems to change for different generations depending on the climate of the country and what each individual is facing. American Gothic is still one of America’s most well known and most parodied work of art. The painting could be construed in many different directions because Wood himself took on many social
Grant Wood was born on February 13, 1991 in Anamosa, Iowa. When his father died in 1901 Grant and his family moved to Cedar Rapids. He then took art lessons from local artists while he was attending high school. Later Wood would teach close to Cedar Rapids while he worked at a silversmith shop. Wood’s regionalism style is a realist modern art movement where …show more content…
Before this painting he was all but ignored. None of Wood’s other paintings were ever as successful as American Gothic. Soon after he submitted American Gothic into the Art Institute of Chicago for a competition and the painting won the Norman Wait Harris bronze medal. The Institute then purchased the painting for $300. This was Wood’s first big art sell and his first prize for any work he had done. American Gothic was soon being copied in newspapers but Wood received a hostile response when it was printed in the Cedar Rapids Gazette. The townspeople who were reading the paper were furious that they were being depicted as "pinched, grim-faced, puritanical Bible-thumpers". Wood defended himself saying that his goal was never to make fun of anyone. That the image is just his own personal ideals of Americans. American Gothic did make Wood an identifiable artist, but with recognition came negative criticisms. His rise of popularity was fast and after his death his fall was just as …show more content…
In a country that was caught up in the economic depression, Wood’s stoic couple personified the values of America and the determination needed to survive. People could relate to the painting. The farmer was standing confidently with his pitchfork defending his home. This was something many people were doing during the depression trying to defend what they owned. Then after a few years American Gothic’s success dropped and was out of the public eye for a decade. When the civil rights began American Gothic took another go round for interpretation. Some people thought it had become a symbol of right wing and even racist America. The actual meaning behind the painting always seems to change for different generations depending on the climate of the country and what each individual is facing. American Gothic is still one of America’s most well known and most parodied work of art. The painting could be construed in many different directions because Wood himself took on many social