Jul 12, 2005 the story behind grant woods american gothic the painting is a touchstone of american culture, depicting an upright midwestern family on the farm. The grant wood painting american gothic is a touchstone of american culture, depicting an upright midwestern family on the farm. A new biography of grant wood, the painter of american gothic, presents him as a closeted gay man who used the canvas to reveal his feelings. 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. Hornes, helen mar parkin, joslyn art museum, davenport museum of art, worcester art museum, brady m.
The story behind the painting is the subject of thomas hovings book. American gothic and other fables, the exhibition will bring together a full range of woods oeuvre, from his early arts and crafts decorative objects and impressionist oils through his mature paintings, murals, works on paper, and book illustrations. Grants art celebrated hardworking americans who finally saw themselves depicted in fine art. Kgr 3from humble beginnings sketching corn fields in rural iowa, overallclad grant wood traversed europe in search of artistic inspiration only to find it back home in the depressionera american midwest. Wood was trained as a craftsman and designer as well as a painter.
Wood was born in rural iowa, 4 mi 6 km east of anamosa, in 1891. T he most famous painting in the world may be leonardo da vincis mona lisa, with its inscrutable smile, sfumato. From humble beginnings sketching iowas cornfields and rolling hills as a child, grant wood became the father of regionalism, an artistic. Grant s art celebrated hardworking americans who finally saw themselves in fine art. 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. Grant wood, born february, 1891, near anamosa, iowa, u. Grant woods american gothic, 1930, part of grant wood. American gothic is a painting by american artist grant wood in 1930. 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. This chapter by emily braun was informative and showed the wide reach of the book, with an especially engaging and creative analytic angle. While the title piece for the show is woods masterpiece perhaps the most famous image in the history of american art, the exhibition enlightens viewers on far more than american gothic. American gothic and other fables, a comprehensive overview that.
Feb 05, 2017 the most famous painting in american art. Candid examination of iconic painter grant wood the. Grant wood s american gothic, 1930, part of grant wood. Exploring woods oeuvre from a variety of perspectives, this book presents the. You can see the original american gothic at the art institute of chicago. The figures were modeled by woods sister nan wood graham and their dentist dr. Credit figge art museum, successors to the estate of nan wood graham, via estate of grant woodlicensed by vaga, new york, ny. This book, published as the catalog for the traveling exhibit which premiered at the davenport museum of art in iowa 1995, is richly illustrated with some sixty of woods paintings and preparatory studies. Grant s art celebrated hardworking americans who finally saw themselves depicted in fine art. 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.
Art institute of chicago an editing of the original american gothic painting by grant wood, edited to remove the red house, but kept the stern couple. It depicts a farmer standing beside his daughter often mistakenly assumed to be his wife. Grant wood promoted the regionalism movement in art, shunning the city with its technology and urban lifestyle, in order to focus on the scenic, rural life of the midwest, and america. Oct 31, 2010 a new biography of grant wood, the painter of american gothic, presents him as a closeted gay man who used the canvas to reveal his feelings. American gothic and other fables brings together the full range of his art, from his early arts and crafts decorative objects and impressionist oils through his mature paintings, murals, and book illustrations. 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. This all changed when thomas hoving, former director of the metropolitan museum of art in new york city, came to iowa for a conference at the cedar rapids museum of art in 2005. 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, by grant wood collection of the art institute of chicago. Grant woods american gothic painting the portrait of the two iowan. Aug 27, 2019 grant wood was an american painter who is best known for the iconic work american gothic. Nov 07, 2010 in 1930, artist grant wood achieved sudden national fame with american gothic, his iconic painting of a pitchforkwielding farmer and a stern, blackclad woman posed before a victorian. Blue ribbon selection, bulletin of the center for childrens books.
Ross macdonald from humble beginnings sketching iowas cornfields and rolling hills as a child, painter grant wood 18911942 became the father of regionalism an artistic movement that celebrated the reallife. American gothic and other fables by barbara haskell. One of the most striking images in the book is that of a young grant wood sitting at a parisian cafe in 1920, cigarette in hand and bohemian beard on. In 1930, inside a small studio in cedar rapids, iowa, artist grant wood painted his most famous work, american gothic. Hoving had just published his book, american gothic. We examine the many interpretations of grant woods masterpiece.
The lithograph is included in the whitney museum of american arts retrospective of the artists career, grant wood. The story behind grant woods american gothic the painting is a touchstone of american culture, depicting an upright midwestern family on the farm. His mother moved the family to cedar rapids, after his. His best known work is the 1930 piece american gothic, depicting an impassive rural farmer and his wife modeled by dentist dr. American gothic was painted by grant wood essay 646 words.
How american gothic became an icon is grant woods famous painting serious or comic. 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 is a 1930 painting by grant wood in the collection of the art institute of chicago. Grant wood is known for his stylized and subtly humorous scenes of rural people, iowa cornfields, and mythic subjects from american history such as the art institutes iconic painting american gothic 1930. On march 2, 2018, the whitney museum of american art in new york city opened its much anticipated exhibition, grant wood. Had grant wood not made the painting american gothic 1930, there would not be a grant wood retrospective now at the whitney museum. Of particular note in my reading was the chapter, cryptic corn. At the art institute of chicago, when it shared the limelight with grant woods. At the art institute of chicago, when it shared the limelight with grant woods contemporaneous masterpiece, american gothic. American gothic and other fables haskell, barbara, adamson, glenn, banks, eric, braun, emily, reecehughes, shirley, meyer, richard on. American gothic and other fables, at the whitney museum of american art in new york through june 10. The wonderfully queer world of american gothics grant wood. It is probably the most reproduced and parodied works of art, and has.
American gothic has become arguably the most parodied painting in history. His eponymous picture of a rustic couple posed in front of their house fig. What was to become the quintessential image of americas rural heartland was a kind of history. The painting is named after the window with the pointed arch. Woods narrative reads like a treasured story about an admired family member. Mar 02, 2018 the lithograph is included in the whitney museum of american arts retrospective of the artists career, grant wood. American gothic by grant wood american gothic by grant wood is one of the most famous painting in the history of arts. In search of visiting a fine piece of art, in person, i visited the.
Candid examination of iconic painter grant wood the boston. The art institute of chicago smarthistory images for teaching and learning. Grant wood 18911942 is bestknown for his painting american gothic, one of the most recognizable portraits in history. Grant wood biography 18911942 life of american painter. The exhibition reveals a complex, sophisticated artist whose image as a farmerpainter was as mythical as the fables he. The novels heroine, carol milford, is desperate to get away, and eventually. Gothic architecture developed in europe back when kings and queens ruled the world. Grant woods american gothic essay 1408 words bartleby. Along with other midwestern regionalist painters like john steuart curry and thomas hart benton, wood advocated for a realistic style and recognizable subjects that showed local places.
The image has become an iconic representation of the american midwest, and the target of countless visual parodies. Curator barbara haskell talks about his iconic work, american gothic 1930, in the context of contemporary america. The painting brought wood almost instant fame after being exhibited for the first time at the art institute of chicago in 1930. American gothic by john stone just outside the frame there has to be a dog chickens, cows and hay and a smokehouse where a ham in hickory is also being preserved here for all time the borders of the gothic window anticipate the ribs of the house. This would be a pity, because the show fascinates as a. But whatever its technical merits and agrarian flaws, stone city triggers the history minded imagination in. The image has become an iconic representation of the american midwest, and the. Grant wood was an american painter who is best known for the iconic work american gothic. Grant wood is an attractive and professional book with a useful balance between text and image. Wood painted american gothic in 1930, and its true that even though life in farm country had been difficult in the 1920s. A new biography of grant wood, the painter of american gothic, presents. Here, london art studies lecturer, richard stemp, shares a background lesson on this seminal. Grant wood, american gothic, 1930, oil on beaver board, 78 x 65. Mar 28, 2018 why is grant woods work relevant today.
American gothic is a picturebook biography that explores the birth of the famous painting, the movement that made it possible, and the artist who created it all. American gothic the story behind grant woods iconic. Come to eldon, iowa and view the house that inspired grant wood to paint american gothic, one of. A major reevaluation of an iconic 20thcentury american artist this comprehensive study of grant wood 18911942 is packed with extensive new scholarship and provides fresh insight into the career of one of the key figures of 20thcentury american art. 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. It has since become one of the most recognizable images in the history of american art. It is this ambiguity that has helped made it one of the most parodied images in art history, writes fisun guner. Grant woods american gothic is one of the most famous paintings in the history of american art.
The life of grant wood wood, susan, macdonald, ross on. Grant wood, american gothic 1930, art institute of chicago woods best known work is his 1930 painting american gothic, 16 which is also one of the most famous paintings in american art, 15 and one of the few images to reach the status of widely recognised cultural icon, comparable to leonardo da vinci s mona lisa and edvard munch s the scream. His american gothic painting has become an american icon. 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. The models on the painting were woods sister, nan, wearing a colonial print apron mimicking 19th century americana, and woods dentist, dr.
Shown is a farmer and his spinster daughter in front of their house. A study in american art and culture, james dennis provides a remarkable explication of stone city. The immense success of american gothic heralded the style of regionalism and showcased the hardworking residents of the heartland. Grant woods american gothic was painted in 1930 and has become one of the icons of american art. In 1930, artist grant wood achieved sudden national fame with american gothic, his iconic painting of a pitchforkwielding farmer and a stern, blackclad woman posed before a victorian. Grant woods 18911942 paintings epitomized the regionalist movement and attracted an immense popular audience. The story behind the painting is the subject of thomas hovings book american gothic. Such spoofs retain the basic composition of the painting, with the. 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. Mar 06, 2018 a major reevaluation of an iconic 20thcentury american artist this comprehensive study of grant wood 18911942 is packed with extensive new scholarship and provides fresh insight into the career of one of the key figures of 20thcentury american art.
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