TOW #21: American Gothic, Grant Wood

When many people see the painting, American Gothic, they think of the icon that it is today, and do not look too closely at the details. Since its creation in 1930, this painting has grown extremely popular among people everywhere, able to be recognized with only a glance. Looking closely at this canvas though, it is clear that each stroke and color was chosen for a reason by the artist, Grant Wood. Wood drew the house that is in the background first, after one he had seen before, and then he drew the people in front of it. Interestingly, the woman in the portrait is based off of his sister, while the man in the portrait is based off of his dentist. In this painting, Wood is able to effectively showcase a realistic American couple (during that time period) through his use of neutral colors and sharp realism. Through his color choices, Grant was able to convey to the audience exactly what he wanted to. This piece was created when many things were happening involving the United States. The Depression had just destroyed America, and the nation was about to enter into another long and devastating war. By choosing neutral browns and grays over bright blues and neon greens, Wood was able to portray a modest couple. The understated blues and greens in the picture were there to make the scene look believable, but they were dulled down, as was everything in the image. Similarly, the facial expressions of the husband and wife were toned down. They were not happy, as they probably had been working hard all day, without much free time to have fun. The world was a little stricter than, as money was tight and hard work was necessary. The people shown are not beautiful. They are not the Hollywood stars that are seen in magazines in doctors' offices across the nation. They are not airbrushed or botoxed. They do though, look real. By painting his characters to be average-looking among, rather than America's idea of beautiful, Wood created a couple that could honestly live in that farm house. He made a story that was possible for his viewers. This image is not abstract; it is straightforward, so that anyone who sees it can understand it right away. By using toned-down colors and realistic attributes, Grant Wood achieved the ever-changing, "typical" American couple of his time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Grant_Wood_-_American_Gothic_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg