American Gothic by Grant Wood - 1930 - 78 × 65.3 cm Art Institute of Chicago American Gothic by Grant Wood - 1930 - 78 × 65.3 cm Art Institute of Chicago

American Gothic

oil on wood • 78 × 65.3 cm
  • Grant Wood - February 13, 1891 - February 13, 1942 Grant Wood 1930

The painting shows a farmer and his spinster daughter standing side by side. The two characters were modeled by the artist’s sister and their dentist. The duo depict the traditional roles of man and woman, with the man's pitchfork symbolizing hard labor, and the flowers over the woman's right shoulder suggesting domesticity. This portrait was painted in 1930, around the time of the Great Depression and the composition of this painting hints towards that significant era. During this arduous time, many farmers were evicted from their farms, leaving them no choice but to move to the city to join the rest of the unemployed trying to find work. This is one of the interpretations explaining why the characters look so distressed.