Who made it?
This painting was created by an American artist named, Grant Wood, in 1930.
Where is the REAL one?
This painting can be seen at The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, IL.
Why is this artwork important?
The idea for American Gothic first came to Mr. Wood when he saw a small cottage in Eldon, Iowa, called the Dibble House, which was built in the architectural style known as Gothic Revival. Wood decided to paint the house along with the kind of people he imagined might live in it. The painting depicts a farmer and his grown-up daughter. They are not meant to represent any particluar people, but rather ALL American people. The man's pitchfork is a symbol of hardwork and the flowers over the woman's shoulder are a symbol of home life. When people first saw this painting, they thought that Mr.Wood was making a joke about small town farming life and the people who lived in such places. However, Wood NEVER intended this painting to make fun of or criticize anyone.
Soon after American Gothic was painted, a very difficult and poverty-stricken time for the American people came, called the Great Depression. Suddenly, people looked at this painting differently and came to be seen as a depiction of the hardworking, every-strong pioneer spirit of the American people.
