American Gothic

I'll tell you about Grant Wood's painting American Gothic. I remembered it from an art history course I took once, though I had seen it before. In Columbus, I discovered it on the wall of the iconic ice cream café @jenisicecreams, just 10 minutes from my house. When I got to Chicago, I didn’t know it was here. The guide mentioned it, and I realized I had to go with the flow. Sometimes, something just sweeps over me, and there’s no resisting it.

So, here’s the thing. First, it’s not a husband and wife, but a father and daughter. The artist’s dentist and sister posed for him. Second, American Gothic is not about the unfriendly expressions on their faces, as many might think, but about the architectural style of the house behind them. At one point in North America, wooden houses became widespread, and these buildings incorporated gothic elements from European stone gothic architecture. This style is called Carpenter Gothic. The house actually existed in Iowa. And guess what? Locals were really offended by this caricatured, conservative depiction. There was a media debate where the artist unsuccessfully tried to prove that he was paying homage to the traditional American way of life. Then, the Great Depression hit, and no one had time for debates anymore. Anyway, the painting became as much of a meme as Warhol’s Marilyn or Einstein or even the Mona Lisa.

And a third point: originally, the man in the picture was holding a rake, but then Wood replaced it with the more traditional pitchfork.

#chicago #americangothic #grantwood #artinstituteofchicago