American Gothic
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About American Gothic
The title sounds mysterious, but its clue is hiding in the house behind them.
“Gothic” points to the tall, pointed window on the Iowa house behind the two figures. Grant Wood saw that house in 1930 and imagined the kind of people who might live there. He asked his sister and his dentist to pose as a farmer and his daughter. They were not married, and they did not live in the house.
Wood makes the whole picture stand up straight. The farmer’s pitchfork repeats in the seams of his overalls. The narrow window, roof, faces, clothing, and boards create more long, upright lines. Even the two people seem to be holding themselves as stiffly as the house.
But what are they thinking? Is Wood gently teasing them, admiring their strength, or doing both at once? Their expressions refuse to explain. That is why the painting can feel serious and strange—and why two perfectly still people have kept viewers arguing for nearly a century.
Artwork details
- Artist
- Grant Wood
- Date
- 1930
- Medium
- Oil on Beaver Board
- Dimensions
- 78 × 65.3 cm
- Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Accession number
- 1930.934
Sources & rights
Grant Wood, American Gothic, 1930. Art Institute of Chicago, 1930.934. Image via Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain.
