“American Gothic” is a famous work by Grant Wood, who was born in Iowa.
Wood's painting depicts a man and a woman standing in front of a house.
The male farmer, wearing overalls and holding a pitchfork, looks straight at the viewer, while the female farmer turns her head slightly with a stern look on her face.
Grant Wood, a native of Iowa, is an “American Gothic” artist. (Getty Images)
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There is a clear age difference between the man and woman in the painting, but their relationship is unclear. The painting could depict a husband and wife, or a father and daughter.
According to Britannica, Wood used his sister Nan and dentist Dr. B.H. McKeevey as models for the two people standing in front of the house in the painting to create his famous painting. The two posed separately while Wood painted.
According to the Art Institute of Chicago's website, the house in the background of the painting was inspired by a wood saw in Eldon, Iowa.
Many who watch “American Gothic” have a theory about the story behind this famous painting. (Beata Saursel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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The house was built in the Carpenter Gothic style, which was popular in the 1880s.
The painting was completed by Wood in 1930, according to the museum. After it was completed, Wood submitted it to the Art Institute of Chicago, where it was accepted into a major exhibition.
Wood won the Norman Waite Harris Bronze Medal for his painting and received a cash prize of $300.
“American Gothic” is on display at the Art Institute of Chicago. (Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
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The painting remains at the Art Institute of Chicago to this day. When it was first exhibited, it quickly became popular.
Much of the public interest in this picture came from viewers seeking to fill in the gaps in the story. Not much is known about the background story of this painting, so many people have made their own speculations.
According to the Art Institute of Chicago, a widely held belief about the painting is that it was intended as a satire on the Midwest. According to Britannica, Wood repeatedly refused this throughout his life.
The Art Institute of Chicago says on its website that Wood “wanted to convey a positive image of rural American values and provide a reassuring vision in the early days of the Great Depression.”
