Many have seen the painting of the two grumpy looking farmers standing in front of their house.  The man is holding a pitchfork, and the woman is looking up at him.  Everyone knows this painting, but not many know its name.  American Gothic by Grant Wood is a significant painting to American history and has deep meaning within the picture itself.

American Gothic is one of the most famous American paintings in our history.  It was painted in 1930 by Grant Wood on a wooden board with oil.  Grant originally entered his painting in many local art contests, mostly wining small prizes.  Many of the judges called his work satirical and because it depicted the current lifestyle and attitude of many Americans.  He released the painting the same year that the Great Depression started and so many Americans were able to relate to his painting as the mood was the same.

Grant himself says that painting is based off of a local house near his home that he used for inspiration.  The style of the house is American Gothic style , just like the title.  Grant claims the people in the picture are a father and daughter, although many interpret it as a husband and wife.  The woman in the picture was modeled after Grant’s wife after all, yet the man is not portrayed after him, but rather as the local dentist.  The significance of the painting during its point in history is important.  It depicts the boring and mundane life of many rural Americans.  Even today, many Americans can relate to the picture.  You work hard all day, be miserable, and don’t have much to show for it.  American Gothic symbolizes the monotonous life of many Americans.

American Gothic is said to be one of the most famous paintings in American History.  The artist has the long face of the man, staring at you, causing the reader to remember the painting.  One of the reasons the painting is so famous is because many Americans interpret such a simple painting in many different ways.  Some think of it as a parody, the stereotype of a Midwest farmer that lives his life on the farm.  Other think of it as a position they would never want to be in, yet many Americans live the life depicted in the picture every day.  Some also say that it the painting shows a snapshot of what life was like in that time.  All of these different interpretations are significant to American History.  The picture has influence on people’s lives today and that is what makes it significant.  The fact that a painting can still be one of the most famous after 80 years means it does have an impact on our lives.  Throughout the 20th century and into ours, people know and remember the long face of the staring man.

One point that many critics debate over in the picture is about who the two people are.  The question is whether it is a husband or wife, or a man and his daughter, or perhaps neither.  How you recognize the people in the picture influences how you interpret the rest of the painting.  If you view it as a man and a wife, then you can ask yourself, why are they grumpy and upset?  Perhaps it is because they have lived their whole life on the farm in the middle of nowhere.  Some say they are sick of each other, but in that time couples did not divorce.  The other interpretation is that maybe it is perhaps a father and his daughter.  The father could possibly abuse the daughter, as they both look solemn and he is holding a pitch fork and she is behind him.  Some say the daughter wants to get out and see the world but the old farmer is set in his ways and will not let her.  The point is, everyone views this painting in a different light and with different opinions.  This is something many other pieces of art do not have, and that is why American Gothic is still significant today.

Beyond the relationship between the two people, there are also many other interpretations of the painting.  One view is that perhaps the man is a preacher, and he is warding off the devil with his pitch fork.  The man was modeled after a dentist, and many critics see that as a reason for his grumpy face and attitude, since people know dentists to be evil and solemn.  As for the house, many people look at it as a joke.  The fact that so many Americans live in the same, bland, cookie cutter house and we have been for a century.  And the people in this painting are no different, and that enables the viewers to relate.  One of the biggest points of significance in this piece of art is that it causes Americans to all think and view this piece differently. 

The painting itself is another outlet of American Gothic’s significance and importance.  It was one of the first paintings on wood and the first famous one.  Because of Grant’s work, many wood paintings followed, including some famous ones.  His painting also led the way for more satirical works of art, even though he did not originally intended for his work to be viewed that way.  In response to Grant’s painting, many parodies and plays on his original work have been created.  The painting is held in the Chicago Museum of Art and attracts thousands of visitors every year.  Also, as of recently, the house for which the painting was modeled after has been opened up as a historical attraction for visitors.

American Gothic is an iconic and significant painting in American history.  It paved the way for more works of art to come and it influenced our society.  The painting has deep meaning and causes its viewers to interpret it and understand in all different kinds of ways.  Grant’s work of art also has an impact on our history, posing as a snapshot of our past and paving the way as a symbol for rural American life since the Great Depression.