American Gothic

Muneeb AlaviMrs. Chapman

8-31-10

Artist Biography (Grant Wood)

• Born February 13, 1891 in Anamosa, Iowa• In 1913, he attended the School of Art

Institute of Chicago• In 1930, he painted American Gothic, his

most famous painting• In 1932, he founded the Stone City Art

Colony, where he helped artists out during the depression

• On February 12, 1942, he died of liver cancer :(

Visual Analysis• The artist’s style resembles 15th century

northern European artists• The painting shows an old man standing

with his unmarried daughter on a farm• The women mimics 19th century

Americana• They symbolize the traditional roles of

men and women• The pitchfork the man is carrying

symbolizes hard labor

Historical and contextual analysis

• Wood asked his sister and dentist to pose to be the man and women in the painting

• The painting epitomizes the Great Depression

• The somber expressions on the couple’s faces suggest that their farm is closing

• The picture represents life in rural America during the Great Depression

Significance

• During the depression, this painting went on to represent endurance in hard times

• The painting was painted in result to regionalism