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American Gothic: A Life of American's Most Famous Painting
“Masterful. . . . This is cultural studies at its best.”―Chase Madar, Time Out New York
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First published June 6, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 4, 2022
Review originally published January 2006
Even those of us whose idea of great art is whatever fits above the sofa have immediate recognition of some truly famous works: The Mona Lisa, Whistler’s Mother, and The Last Supper. One particular painting, however, has become such an integral part of modern American culture that almost everyone has seen it or a parody of it. That painting is American Gothic by Grant Wood.
Many years ago, when I first discovered this artist, I became immediately enamored of his most famous work. I assumed that it represented a farmer and his wife. I was intrigued by their dour expressions and tried to imagine what they were thinking. Were they unhappy? Were they supposed to represent average Americans?
Over the years, I continued to feel a special affection for this painting. Then, quite by chance one day a few years ago, I discovered my own less-than-six-degrees-of-separation from the artist. My brother’s father-in-law, William Bunn, now 95, is likely the last living student of Grant Wood. An established artist in his own right, Bill’s WPA-era projects include many murals in the Midwest and the Smithsonian. Grant and Bill were friends as well as teacher-student.
It is undoubtedly a stretch to extend their connection to me, but hey, I know someone who knew Grant Wood personally! Also, in 2001 I met Mildred Brown, a friend of Nan, Grant’s sister (who is the woman in AG). Mildred and Nan both collected AG items and Mildred inherited even more upon Nan’s death in 1990.
Mildred’s collection is private, but she graciously allowed me view it. My destiny as an American Gothic collector was born. And last November, when I saw the ORIGINAL American Gothic, the “real deal” as the Cedar Rapids Museum touts it, I was ecstatic.
So, as a self-proclaimed American Gothic uber-fan, I invite all readers to visit the library to check out and enjoy a new book by Steven Biel, American Gothic: A Life of America's Most Famous Painting. Read about the Iowa artist who created the often parodied masterpiece.
Learn who the models for the picture were, about the controversy American Gothic provoked, and about the apparently never-ending production of parodies and paraphernalia based on this cultural tour-de-force.
American Gothic is arguably the most recognized painting in the world. It has been analyzed philosophically, sociologically, and politically and used to promote or satirize commercial products, presidents, and lifestyles. You owe it to yourself to learn the fascinating story of this famous American masterpiece.
Besides, this book review has provided me a golden opportunity to bring in some of my personal collection of American Gothicana (jewelry, parody posters, teddy bears, magazine covers, cookbooks, greeting cards, etc.). They’re on display now at the Onalaska branch of the La Crosse County Library. Come view the collection. And definitely read Steven Biel’s book.
Perhaps you too will feel the lure of this painting and its awesome power to inspire so much affection, imitation and “collectability.” And wish it a happy birthday. American Gothic just turned 75!
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
Even those of us whose idea of great art is whatever fits above the sofa have immediate recognition of some truly famous works: The Mona Lisa, Whistler’s Mother, and The Last Supper. One particular painting, however, has become such an integral part of modern American culture that almost everyone has seen it or a parody of it. That painting is American Gothic by Grant Wood.
Many years ago, when I first discovered this artist, I became immediately enamored of his most famous work. I assumed that it represented a farmer and his wife. I was intrigued by their dour expressions and tried to imagine what they were thinking. Were they unhappy? Were they supposed to represent average Americans?
Over the years, I continued to feel a special affection for this painting. Then, quite by chance one day a few years ago, I discovered my own less-than-six-degrees-of-separation from the artist. My brother’s father-in-law, William Bunn, now 95, is likely the last living student of Grant Wood. An established artist in his own right, Bill’s WPA-era projects include many murals in the Midwest and the Smithsonian. Grant and Bill were friends as well as teacher-student.
It is undoubtedly a stretch to extend their connection to me, but hey, I know someone who knew Grant Wood personally! Also, in 2001 I met Mildred Brown, a friend of Nan, Grant’s sister (who is the woman in AG). Mildred and Nan both collected AG items and Mildred inherited even more upon Nan’s death in 1990.
Mildred’s collection is private, but she graciously allowed me view it. My destiny as an American Gothic collector was born. And last November, when I saw the ORIGINAL American Gothic, the “real deal” as the Cedar Rapids Museum touts it, I was ecstatic.
So, as a self-proclaimed American Gothic uber-fan, I invite all readers to visit the library to check out and enjoy a new book by Steven Biel, American Gothic: A Life of America's Most Famous Painting. Read about the Iowa artist who created the often parodied masterpiece.
Learn who the models for the picture were, about the controversy American Gothic provoked, and about the apparently never-ending production of parodies and paraphernalia based on this cultural tour-de-force.
American Gothic is arguably the most recognized painting in the world. It has been analyzed philosophically, sociologically, and politically and used to promote or satirize commercial products, presidents, and lifestyles. You owe it to yourself to learn the fascinating story of this famous American masterpiece.
Besides, this book review has provided me a golden opportunity to bring in some of my personal collection of American Gothicana (jewelry, parody posters, teddy bears, magazine covers, cookbooks, greeting cards, etc.). They’re on display now at the Onalaska branch of the La Crosse County Library. Come view the collection. And definitely read Steven Biel’s book.
Perhaps you too will feel the lure of this painting and its awesome power to inspire so much affection, imitation and “collectability.” And wish it a happy birthday. American Gothic just turned 75!
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
October 9, 2013
This appears to be a book that was developed from a class Biel taught under classmen at Harvard. Short, and heavily footnoted - more for source citation than added content (163 for a 172 pp book). The footnoting was a little odd - often just adding a footnote at the end of a paragraph and accumulating all those sources in one note.
Speaking of accumulation, this book feels like an accumulation of just about all the facts he could lay his hands on about Grant Wood's painting, "American Gothic". He was greatly aided by what appears to be a huge collection gathered over the years by Wood's sister, Nan (the woman in the painting).
I enjoyed the parts giving us the history of Iowa's own little Bohemian community, or Nan's fight to maintain copyright control. And also his explanation of the how the painting has been viewed differently as both Art and Politics through the decades. I would have appreciated more of Wood's own words on the painting (his explanation of what he meant to the painting to say seems to have changed quite often through his short life - painted in 1930, he died in 1942). And Biel's chapter on the many parodies of the painting was often of interest as well.
But in the end, I was a bit disappointed. It did feel at times to be a collection of facts and opinions about the painting, but nothing really holding it all together. Maybe this has to do w/ Biel's own attitude of refusing to state what he believes the painting IS *about*.
I saw the original just his past Christmas (2012) in the Art Institute of Chicago, for the first time in decades. I had already bought this book at that time, but had not read it. But knowing I would be reading this, I paid closer attention to the painting than I might have otherwise. What struck me the most, and what you don't see in the smaller reproductions we are used to seeing, is the amount of detail Wood has put into the painting - particularly the clothes.
Speaking of accumulation, this book feels like an accumulation of just about all the facts he could lay his hands on about Grant Wood's painting, "American Gothic". He was greatly aided by what appears to be a huge collection gathered over the years by Wood's sister, Nan (the woman in the painting).
I enjoyed the parts giving us the history of Iowa's own little Bohemian community, or Nan's fight to maintain copyright control. And also his explanation of the how the painting has been viewed differently as both Art and Politics through the decades. I would have appreciated more of Wood's own words on the painting (his explanation of what he meant to the painting to say seems to have changed quite often through his short life - painted in 1930, he died in 1942). And Biel's chapter on the many parodies of the painting was often of interest as well.
But in the end, I was a bit disappointed. It did feel at times to be a collection of facts and opinions about the painting, but nothing really holding it all together. Maybe this has to do w/ Biel's own attitude of refusing to state what he believes the painting IS *about*.
I saw the original just his past Christmas (2012) in the Art Institute of Chicago, for the first time in decades. I had already bought this book at that time, but had not read it. But knowing I would be reading this, I paid closer attention to the painting than I might have otherwise. What struck me the most, and what you don't see in the smaller reproductions we are used to seeing, is the amount of detail Wood has put into the painting - particularly the clothes.
September 2, 2019
Steven Biel considers American Gothic from the time of its inception to the present. It is arguably America's best loved painting and possibly also its most reviled. It has been parodied, used in advertising, appeared in Nw Yorker cartoons, made cameo appeasrances in movies, and generally taken on a life of its own, far beyond what Grant Wood might ever have imagined.
It is a painting of a farmer and his wife - or is it? It makes a statement about American values - doesn't it?
The author is the director of the History and Literature Program at Harvard University, and brings a scholar's research to his subject, yet the book is written in an easy, fast moving style that should not scare of the most casual reader. What this book can do is refresh how we look at this and other ojects of art.
It is a painting of a farmer and his wife - or is it? It makes a statement about American values - doesn't it?
The author is the director of the History and Literature Program at Harvard University, and brings a scholar's research to his subject, yet the book is written in an easy, fast moving style that should not scare of the most casual reader. What this book can do is refresh how we look at this and other ojects of art.
September 27, 2016
Well. An artist, Grant Wood, saw a little farmhouse in Eldon, Iowa. It interested him so he sketched it and then got his sister Nan and a dentist to pose separately as figures he would put in the painting's foreground with the house behind it.
Grant Wood imitated the early Flemish style of painting as he liked that style I presume. (Flemish = north France, Belgium and a portion of the Netherlands, whether Dutch masters fit this I would have to check further).
So Wood made this simple painting of which fantastic response or reaction has been made since it's inception in 1930 of which many contribute their own ideas of what it means to them that this man, woman and farmhouse in varying degrees of positive or negative response.
Very amusing.
Grant Wood imitated the early Flemish style of painting as he liked that style I presume. (Flemish = north France, Belgium and a portion of the Netherlands, whether Dutch masters fit this I would have to check further).
So Wood made this simple painting of which fantastic response or reaction has been made since it's inception in 1930 of which many contribute their own ideas of what it means to them that this man, woman and farmhouse in varying degrees of positive or negative response.
Very amusing.
April 24, 2009
the barn on the right in the background wasn't actually there on site, next to the house. He added it from out of his mind. They weren't actually husband and wife who lived in the house. they were friends of friends and the house was found abandoned used as a setting for the painting. really interesting stuff. It changed my whole outlook on the work.
July 11, 2013
Interesting for a history book. I had to do a research paper on the painting American Gothic and it became my primary source. I found it interesting to learn how the popularity of that painting has hung on until today, making it one the the best known pieces of American art.
December 21, 2020
A very interesting and thought-provoking, breezy-in-a-good-way read.
September 26, 2010
Okay, so didn't actually finish this book. I couldn't follow it and didn't find the focus very interesting, though I thought it would be according to the summary. The author seems to jump around a lot and include a lot of irrelevant information.
March 27, 2015
I wanted to like this book but didn't. I consider myself to be 'middlebrow' when it comes to art. I happen to enjoy Grant Wood's work but found the author's writing to be opaque. I did get a kick out of the 'Country Corn Flakes' commercial however.
November 22, 2017
After about halfway, I started to tire of reading what felt like a college lecture in book form. There was a large number of endnotes that I would have enjoyed better as footnotes so that I could avoid regularly flipping to that section.
March 3, 2018
Interesting story of how the painting has been viewed over the decades, first as a sarcastic portrait of midwestern values and then in the Depression recharacterized as an homage to those values and to Americans’ tough resolve. Quick read.
September 5, 2017
This might have been a long article rather than a book, and still gotten all the points across.
December 18, 2022
sharers some of the history of the creation of the painting, then goes into the responses of the artwork. eventually appreciated and even considered for wwii poster. he live in europe then returns to home. the house can be visited. 3
shares how it has been spoofed. insightful, images.
shares how it has been spoofed. insightful, images.
October 24, 2020
Enjoyed this one. Also makes me want to read Grant Wood's biography.
July 20, 2023
“parody” chapter was kinda boring and went on for too long, kinda ruined my view of this book so 2 stars might be unfair
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews