In the early to mid-20th century, many American artists flocked to the country’s major metropolises.
Who was Grant Wood?
In addition to migrating around the Midwest, Wood frequently traveled abroad.
A pioneer of theNorthern Renaissance, Van Eyck is renowned for his detailed paintings rendered in a realistic style.
Instead, he found inspiration in daily life, which is central toAmerican Gothic.
Technique does not constitute art, hesaid.
Grant Wood, “Self Portrait,” 1925 (Photo:Wikimedia CommonsPublic Domain)
It is the depth and intensity of an artists experience that are the first importance in art.
While traveling around the tiny town of Eldon, he discovered a very paintable house.
Known as theDibble House, this humble abode was built in 1881 in aGothicRevival style calledCarpenter Gothic.
Grant Wood, “American Gothic,” 1930 (Photo:Google Arts & CulturePublic Domain)
The Dibble House, for example, features a steep-pitched roof and two arched windows with intersecting wooden tracery.
When he spotted the home, it immediately caught his eyeand sparked his imagination.
Specifically, he pictured a farmer and his daughter, whothough make-believehe opted to immortalize through portraiture.
American Gothic house in Eldon, Iowa (Photo:Stock Photosfrom Scott Cornell/Shutterstock)
The painting features Wood Graham and McKeeby positioned before the home.
Wood, however, stressed his appreciation for his home state and stated that this was not the case.
This is not the only misunderstanding sparked by the portrait.
Since the piece’s conception, many people have assumed the figures to be husband and wife.
These particulars, of course, dont really matter, he wrote in a letter in 1941.
What does matter is whether or not these faces are true to American life and reveal something about it.
Stock Photosfrom oe Taylor Cinema/Shutterstock
Still, even with some controversy, the piece met mostly positive reception.
However, those who are truly interested in stepping into Wood’s world can actually visit the still-standingDibble House.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the quaint cottage is practically identical to its painted likeness.
