Grant Wood was an American artist, 1891-1942. Majority of his works were inspired by his home state of Iowa, American Gothic being one of them. The story goes, that Wood saw a farm house done in the Carpenter Gothic style and began planning a composition with that house in mind. Carpenter Gothic, was a part of the Gothic revival style that became popular in the United States. Characteristics like pointed roofs, scroll work, and details around the windows can be seen in this piece. These structures were easy to make and affordable.
 |
| Grant Wood, American Gothic, 1930. Oil on Beaver Board. The Art Institute of Chicago. |
Many questions have been asked about the two figures centered in the painting.
Are they man and wife?
Daughter and father?
Neighbors?
Actually, the female was Wood's sister Nan and the man was his dentist, Dr. B. H. McKeeby. He dressed them in appropriate clothing for their roles on a farm. The female is looking into the distance, while the man is staring straight on, engaging the viewer. She is closest to the home, possibly a reference to her role in the domestic setting. While, the man is holding a pitchfork and is closest to the barn, symbolizing his role as a farmer. If you look closely, the woman's apron, echos the pattern of the curtain in the window of the house. On the man's overalls, the shape of the pitchfork is implied. In the distance, a steeple is emerging from Wood's stylized treetops. This is one of the most iconic pieces in American Art History. The interpretations vary from mockery, respect, stereotyping, to glorifying. What is your view? Do you agree, disagree or have your own opinion?
In addition to Wood, two other similar artists are featured in this exhibition: Thomas Hart Benton and John Steuart Curry. These three men were known as Regionalists. This title came from focusing on a particular region in the United States. With the idea of showcasing the common, ordinary people from in many cases the Midwestern states like: Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. These artists painted what they knew and understood. Their artwork was relateable, giving us a glimpse into rural American in the 1920s and 1930s.
These men did their part, trying to ease the gap between art and the common man. By painting everyday people doing everyday activities, they made art understandable, and helped viewers make connections in a whole new way. The Regionalists, were realists. They painted what they saw. They did not mock or satirize their subjects, but painted them as a sign of respect for their hard work and endurance.
~Samantha
Conversations around American Gothic
August 30, 2014 to November 16, 2014
The Cincinnati Art Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago will
collaborate in a historic partnership involving Grant Wood’s two
masterpieces, American Gothic and Daughters of Revolution. For the first time, the iconic American Gothic will appear in Cincinnati alongside the Art Museum’s own Daughters of Revolution.
Wood’s iconic paintings will be combined with other quintessential
works by artists of the Regionalist Movement including John Steuart
Curry’s Baptism in Kansas (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York) and Thomas Hart Benton’s Cradling Wheat
(Saint Louis Art Museum). Visitors will be encouraged to compare these
works, stimulating lively conversation about the definition of “realism”
as an artistic style, small town and rural life, stereotypes,
nationalism, and what it means to be an American.
- See more
at:
http://www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org/art/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/details/182-wood-benton-and-curry-conversations-around-american-gothic#sthash.6nOvPTaV.dpufConversations around American Gothic
August 30, 2014 to November 16, 2014
The Cincinnati Art Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago will
collaborate in a historic partnership involving Grant Wood’s two
masterpieces, American Gothic and Daughters of Revolution. For the first time, the iconic American Gothic will appear in Cincinnati alongside the Art Museum’s own Daughters of Revolution.
Wood’s iconic paintings will be combined with other quintessential
works by artists of the Regionalist Movement including John Steuart
Curry’s Baptism in Kansas (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York) and Thomas Hart Benton’s Cradling Wheat
(Saint Louis Art Museum). Visitors will be encouraged to compare these
works, stimulating lively conversation about the definition of “realism”
as an artistic style, small town and rural life, stereotypes,
nationalism, and what it means to be an American.
- See more
at:
http://www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org/art/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/details/182-wood-benton-and-curry-conversations-around-american-gothic#sthash.6nOvPTaV.dpufConversations around American Gothic
August 30, 2014 to November 16, 2014
The Cincinnati Art Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago will
collaborate in a historic partnership involving Grant Wood’s two
masterpieces, American Gothic and Daughters of Revolution. For the first time, the iconic American Gothic will appear in Cincinnati alongside the Art Museum’s own Daughters of Revolution.
Wood’s iconic paintings will be combined with other quintessential
works by artists of the Regionalist Movement including John Steuart
Curry’s Baptism in Kansas (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York) and Thomas Hart Benton’s Cradling Wheat
(Saint Louis Art Museum). Visitors will be encouraged to compare these
works, stimulating lively conversation about the definition of “realism”
as an artistic style, small town and rural life, stereotypes,
nationalism, and what it means to be an American.
- See more
at:
http://www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org/art/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/details/182-wood-benton-and-curry-conversations-around-american-gothic#sthash.6nOvPTaV.dpufConversations around American Gothic
August 30, 2014 to November 16, 2014
The Cincinnati Art Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago will
collaborate in a historic partnership involving Grant Wood’s two
masterpieces, American Gothic and Daughters of Revolution. For the first time, the iconic American Gothic will appear in Cincinnati alongside the Art Museum’s own Daughters of Revolution.
Wood’s iconic paintings will be combined with other quintessential
works by artists of the Regionalist Movement including John Steuart
Curry’s Baptism in Kansas (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York) and Thomas Hart Benton’s Cradling Wheat
(Saint Louis Art Museum). Visitors will be encouraged to compare these
works, stimulating lively conversation about the definition of “realism”
as an artistic style, small town and rural life, stereotypes,
nationalism, and what it means to be an American.
- See more
at:
http://www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org/art/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/details/182-wood-benton-and-curry-conversations-around-american-gothic#sthash.6nOvPTaV.dpuf
No comments:
Post a Comment