Q: What can you tell me about the painting "American Gothic?" Who was the artist? Who are the people depicted in the painting? Any background info appreciated.
A: The painter of American Gothic is Grant Wood who worked out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa and was the principle founder of Regionalism. Grandma Moses painted in a considerably different style know as Primitive or Naivete (nigh eve tay). She was untutored and her fame was the result of an advertising campaign that promoted her. Wood was well tutored and lived and studied in Paris for awhile. When he died in 1942, at age 50, of liver cancer, he was teaching at The University of Iowa at Iowa City.
American Gothic is one of the world's three most recognized paintings. "The Last Supper" and "Mona Lisa" are the other two. The difference between American Gothic and the other two is that very few people can name the artist of American Gothic.
The painting was purchased by the Chicago Institute of Arts soon after its completion for $300 (three hundred dollars) and hangs there currently.
The Cedar Rapids and Iowa City area are full of Grant Wood memories: a museum, the summer art colony he ran, etc.
The two people in the painting are a farmer and his spinster daughter. The farmer is, in reality, Woods' Iowa City Dentist and the daughter is his sister who owns all reproduction rights to the painting and is never paid those royalities by the many corporations who have pariodied the painting in their advertising. Wood assured both of his models that they would never be recognized. They are both dead ringers for the painting representation.
I spoke to the sister about 5 to 7 years ago in California. She was very elderly and I doubt she is still alive.
For further information see:
Corn, Wanda M. "Grant Wood: The Regionalist Vision." Yale University Press, 1983. ISBN 0-300-03103-3 (hardcover)
0-300-03104-1 (paperback)
Good Luck with your work and please e-mail me if you have further questions or comments.
