Grant Wood

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Grant wood boyhood home

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1980 Grant Wood One-Ounce Gold Medal (obv)

Iowa quarter, reverse side, 2004

Grant Wood - American Gothic - Google Art Project

Grant Wood (February 13, 1891 – February 12, 1942) was an American painter best known for his paintings depicting the rural American Midwest, particularly American Gothic, one of the most familiar images in 20th-century American art.

Early Life

Grant DeVolson Wood was born in rural Iowa near Anamosa in 1891. After the death of his father in 1901, Wood's family moved to Cedar Rapids, where he spent the majority of his life. Wood displayed an early interest in art, and after graduating from Washington High School in Cedar Rapids, he enrolled in the Minneapolis School of Design and Handicraft. Wood continued his education at the Art Institute of Chicago and later traveled to Europe to study at the Académie Julian in Paris.

Career

Upon returning to Iowa, Wood became an important figure in the regionalist painting movement, which emphasized rural American themes and landscapes. His work was inspired by the European movements of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, but he adapted these styles to reflect the American rural landscape and people. Wood's most famous painting, American Gothic (1930), shows a farmer and his daughter standing in front of a house whose style mimics a Gothic window, symbolizing the traditional values and the steadfastness of the American people during the Great Depression.

Wood's art was characterized by its portrayal of the American Midwest, which he believed represented the essence of the American spirit. His paintings often included detailed, idealized landscapes and figures that seemed to embody the hardworking, stoic qualities of rural Americans.

Teaching and Legacy

In addition to his painting, Wood was an active teacher and advocate for the arts. He joined the faculty of the University of Iowa's School of Art in 1934, where he taught until his death in 1942. Wood was also instrumental in the development of the Stone City Art Colony to support artists during the Great Depression.

Wood's legacy is marked by his contribution to the Regionalist movement and his influence on American art. His work is celebrated for its portrayal of American values and landscapes, and American Gothic remains an iconic symbol of American art and culture.

Death

Grant Wood died of pancreatic cancer one day before his 51st birthday on February 12, 1942, in Iowa City, Iowa. His work continues to be exhibited and appreciated for its unique depiction of American life and landscapes.