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American Gothic may be the most recognizable American painting. After all, tee shirts, memes, and mementos galore showcase various versions. But Grant Wood’s simple, esteemed, original’s my favorite. Viewer reactions are the best part of this masterpiece. It’s simple yet iconic. That’s why many seem to project their own lives onto these farm folk of yore. Few fine art fans share the stolid rigidity or spare lifestyle of this duo. Yet viewers often feel they know them. They seem real and not like caricatures.

Grant Wood painted this portrait the way a theater director puts on a show. First he discovered the setting. Wood saw the house, now famous for inspiring American Gothic, in a small Iowa town and knew it had to be in a painting. Then he cast his sister and dentist to play the two roles. Many presume them farmer and daughter. But that’s never been nailed down. In fact, the painter left it ambiguous on purpose. The pair’s grim faces seem more stubborn than sad. These are salt of the earth folks. The kind that take, “You’re a tough old bird,” as a compliment.

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https://www.ladykflo.com/american-gothic-by-grant-wood/