Grant Wood, American Gothic at The Art Institute of Chicago

Grant Wood’s American Gothic captured the national consciousness from the moment it premiered at The Art Institute in 1930. Since then, it has been parodied, referenced, replicated, and marketed to millions. It is arguably the most recognized painting in the history of American art, and perhaps one of the most recognizable images in the world along with the Mona Lisa. Has the co-option of this famous painting by Green Acres and numerous political cartoonists robbed it of its meaning? Does American Gothic have anything relevant to say to Modern America? Many would say yes, in fact American Gothic has become a plumb line, of sorts, for what constitutes good and hackneyed art. However, a close reading of the painting reveals a commentary on gender roles and American living that is still fresh.

It was the house itself that first inspired Wood and gave the painting its title. The house is of a style called Carpenter Gothic or Rural Gothic, referring to the application of Gothic revival details to wooden structures. In the case of the Eldon Iowa house, it is the pointed-arch window that provides the Gothic detailing.The clean lines of the house establish the theme of simplicity as a spiritual experience that resonates throughout the painting.

The blue sky is so clear that it is without atmosphere, depicting an idealized America, pure in its rural aspect. At the very center of the piece is the farmer’s pitchfork. The fact that the man’s hand is disproportionately large represents his dominion over the land he farms. The image of the pitchfork is repeated in the farmer’s overalls, reinforcing the idea that man’s identity is defined by his profession. Specifically, Grants seems to idealize the business of farming, as vocation rather than profession, a calling that is inborn, like that of the priest or monk.

Under the overalls, the man’s bright white shirt, sports green stripes that perfectly mirror the boards of the house. Man and his land are as one. The farmer looks directly at us, the wrinkles on his face a map of experience. His expression might seem dour at first, but a closer look reveals a slight quirk in the right eyebrow and a certain tension in the mouth that could be the beginnings of either a scowl or a smile.

The woman's face is less realistic than the man’s; it is oddly geometric as if she were more an abstract representation of rustic feminine ideal. The voluminous apron with its rickrack trim, the prim white collar of her dress, and the cameo at her throat put her in the nineteenth century, the era of the house itself. Her hair is pulled back into a severe bun, except for one strand behind her left ear that hangs in a serpentine curl. This curve is a stark contrast to the straight lines of the rest of the painting. It is a coy tease into the woman's inner life, her imagination escaping the rigid rules of womanhood in rural America and taking her to places she will never actually see. This idea is supported by the fact of her gaze, looking slightly to her left. The cameo she wears, whose rusty red color plays off the clay red color of the barn, is of a young woman holding a flower; perhaps it is this woman's life she dreams about.

The faces of the couple are elongated, like the window between them, reflecting the Gothic ideal. The peaked roof spreads out to point directly to the couple. This emphasizes their closeness to one another and points to the reliant nature of rural life; the scarcity of neighbors makes strong familial relationships doubly important. The way the eaves of the house lead directly into them also underlines the bond between the people and the land they live on. The trees behind the house offer the only relief from the straight up and down lines of the painting. Despite man's best efforts, the wildness of nature can never be completely domesticated, only softened at the edges.

If you strip away the history and the parody, what you find in American Gothic is a complex and compelling commentary on American life that perhaps more germane than it was eighty years ago.