The Most Famous Painting in America

Why has Grant Wood’s American Gothic captivated audiences for 90 years?

Oct / Nov 2020

In 1930, American Gothic appeared in the Art Institute of Chicago’s annual exhibition of American painting and sculpture. Wood won a bronze medal and $300 for the work, which was an impressive amount of money at the time. Two days before the show opened, The Chicago Evening Post printed the painting on the cover of its arts section. Soon other publications around the country began printing images of it. Seemingly overnight, Wood entered the national spotlight. Today even those who know nothing about American art or the artist have almost certainly seen this painting—or a parody of it. And “they understand it to be indisputably American,” says Barbara Haskell, a curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

When Wood painted American Gothic, many Americans were suffering and impoverished from the Great Depression, caused by the stock market crash of 1929. The painting represents a way of life—rural farming—that was disappearing as people moved to big cities. Many scholars interpret American Gothic as a commentary on the American Dream.

In 1930, the Art Institute of Chicago displayed American Gothic, left. It was part of an art show about American painting and sculpture. Wood won a bronze medal and $300 for the work, which was a lot of money for many at the time. Two days before the show, The Chicago Evening Post printed the painting on the cover of its arts section. Soon other publications around the country began showing it too. Wood quickly became famous across the nation. Today almost everyone has seen this painting—or an image mimicking it.

Wood painted American Gothic during the Great Depression. Many Americans were poor and suffering during this time. People were moving to big cities to look for work. This painting of farmers captures a way of life that was disappearing.

Notes on American Gothic

Wood discovered the house in the background by accident while driving around Iowa. The house’s architectural style is called Carpenter Gothic.

The house in the background is a real house in Iowa. It’s built in a style called Carpenter Gothic.

Wood said, “I imagined American Gothic people with their faces stretched out long to go with this American Gothic house.” The artist enlisted his sister, Nan, and a dentist to be the models for the painting.

Wood wanted to paint “American Gothic people with their faces stretched out long to go with this American Gothic house.” He asked his sister, Nan, and a dentist to be models.

The artist painted the figures wearing simple garments that reflect a sense of bad taste. In real life, Nan was actually quite fashionable.

The figures wear plain, unfashionable clothes. But in real life, Nan kept up with fashion trends.

Although most viewers assume the pair represent a husband and wife, Wood and his sister said they were actually meant to be a father and daughter.

Most people think the subjects are husband and wife. But Wood meant for them to be father and daughter.

The two figures wear blank expressions that are difficult to interpret. Critics, historians, and viewers have debated the painting’s meaning since it first appeared in public. Some see the work as a celebration of Midwestern life, and others see it as a mockery or a criticism of it.

Wood found inspiration in Northern Renaissance paintings from 400 years earlier. This influence is seen in Wood’s composition and attention to details like the plants on the porch and the lace curtains in the window.

Northern Renaissance paintings from 400 years earlier inspired Wood. You can see the influence in this work. He draws attention to details, like the plants on the porch

Wood uses repeating lines and shapes throughout the painting, creating a sense of rhythm. For example, the vertical siding on the house and barn echo the stripes on the man’s shirt, and the seams in his overalls relate to the shape of the pitchfork he holds.

Wood repeats lines and shapes. This makes different parts of the painting appear related. The vertical siding on the house and barn mirror the stripes on the man’s shirt. The seams in his overalls are shaped like the pitchfork.