Many geniuses and creators in the field of art are not recognized by critics and society during their lifetime. Years later they begin to be understood and felt, firmly believing that the artist or poet had his own special look on things. That's when people begin to admire them, classifying them as incredibly talented people of his era. This is exactly what happened to Wood Grant, who painted his vision almost a hundred years ago way of life inhabitants of the New World in the film "American Gothic". He was quite a complex artist, with his own character and style.
A few words about the artist’s childhood
Many critics and art experts believe that before analyzing a painting, especially one that caused a huge public outcry, it is necessary to study a little about the creator of the masterpiece. This should be done only in order to understand the motives or message of the artist. Speaking about Wood Grant, whose painting “American Gothic” still causes controversy and certain disagreements among experts around the world, it is worth saying that early years his were unremarkable.
He was born on a small agricultural farm on the very outskirts of America. Besides him, there were two more boys and a girl in the family. The father of the family was distinguished by his hot temper and severity. He passed away quite early. Grant had loved ones and trusting relationship with his mother, perhaps because of this he grew up very sensitive, vulnerable and the most talented of all the children in the family.
Unrecognized genius
Having matured and chosen an artistic path for himself, Grant painted a sufficient number of paintings, but his work was not properly appreciated. He was not recognized in art, often not even taking his work seriously.
About the time in which the picture was painted
"American Gothic" American artist Wood's Grant was written in 1930. This time was quite difficult for a number of reasons:
- Firstly, in 1929, an economic crisis began in America, which, by the way, did not in the least hinder the rapid steps of the state in the field of construction and industry. New, hitherto unknown high-rise buildings were erected in the country. It was a period of novelty and technology.
- Secondly, all over the world, fascism was gaining momentum as rapidly as industry. The new trend and ideology of Adolf Hitler were strengthened in the minds of people who strived for a perfect future.
- To this list, perhaps, it is worth adding a fact that concerns the artist himself personally. By that time, Wood Grant had already lived for a sufficient amount of time in France and Munich, Germany. Some critics felt that these wanderings around the world added a lot to the film “American Gothic” from the European way of life.
After all of the above, you can try to get some idea about the artist, his character and life. Well, when this is done, it’s worth proceeding directly to the analysis of the painting “American Gothic”.
It's all in the details
You can analyze the canvas only if you describe it in detail. So, in the foreground two people are depicted: a woman and a man, who is apparently much older than her. Wood Grant has repeatedly said that he tried to show a father and daughter, but it is known for certain that he depicted his sister and dentist Byron McKeeby. According to the artist, the latter had a rather cheerful disposition. True, in the painting “American Gothic” he appears as a reserved person, if not stern. His gaze is directed straight into the eyes of the person looking at the canvas, and it is impossible to understand what will happen next: either he will smile or get angry. His face is drawn in such detail that you can make out every wrinkle, of which there are plenty.
The woman’s gaze is directed to the side, somewhere outside the picture. A man and his daughter stand in the center, with the woman holding the arm of an elderly man. He has a pitchfork in his hands, with its tips pointing upward, which he holds with a fairly strong grip. It seems as if the people depicted by Wood Grant are trying to protect their home, against which they are drawn.
The house is an old American style building. Another nuance that is revealed upon closer examination: everything in the picture is made by human hands: the man’s shirt, the woman’s apron, and, indeed, the attic roof.
If you look beyond the background of the painting "American Gothic", it seems that Grant Wood did not pay enough attention to it. Trees are presented as geometric shapes and they are absolutely not drawn, generalized. By the way, if you look closely, there is a lot of geometry in the picture: a triangular roof, straight lines of windows, pitchforks that echo the piping on the man’s shirt.
The tones in which the canvas is painted can be described as quite calm. Perhaps this is all the description of the painting “American Gothic”, from which it becomes clear why many Americans saw themselves in it: almost all families living on both the western and eastern coasts of the continent had such houses.
Society assessment
The painting "American Gothic" created a sensation. Some were delighted, but there were also dissatisfied. Residents considered this depiction of their way of life to be a mockery of the artist, and one lady even threatened with physical violence against Grant Wood. She promised to bite his ear off. Many people accused the artist of antipathy to everything new, calling him a conservative and a hypocrite, because he depicted an old house on the threshold of a new civilization. The artist himself once said about his painting: “I tried to portray these people as they were for me in the life that I knew...”.
A century later
It is worth noting that after a while the picture still remains at the peak of popularity. They make parodies of her, admire her, but do not understand her. But all this did not in the least prevent “American Gothic” from becoming a kind of symbol of the way of life of those years. Nearly a century later, critics have been able to discern in it the unwavering spirit of American pioneers. Well, the last thing that needs to be mentioned: Grant Wood was able to “hook” a huge number of people with his masterpiece, forcing the public to discuss and argue about the picture.” American Gothic".
This was also facilitated by the stained glass windows that filled the huge surfaces of the windows; their compositions reproduced apocryphal legends, historical events, religious and literary subjects, as well as images of scenes from the life and work of craft corporations and peasants, representing a kind of encyclopedia of the medieval way of life. Each window is filled from top to bottom with figurative compositions enclosed in medallions. The stained glass technique, which made it possible to combine the color and light principles of painting, imparted increased emotionality to these compositions. Fiery, garnet-colored, deep scarlet, red, yellow, green, ultramarine, blue and dark blue glass, cut out according to the contour of the design, letting in the outside light, burned like precious gems, transforming the entire interior of the temple, tuning a person into an elevated mood.
Gothic colored glass created new aesthetic values– gave the paint the highest sonority of pure radiant color. Giving rise to a colored atmosphere air environment, playing on the floor, columns, the stained glass was perceived as a source of light that deepened the perspective. The unequal, but rather thick glasses often had bubbles and were not entirely transparent - this enhanced the artistic effect produced by the stained glass. Penetrating through the uneven thickness of the glass, the light fragmented and played. The best authentic Gothic stained glass windows are in the cathedrals of Chartres ("Our Lady and Child"), Paris, and Bourges. The “dark purple rose” of Reims Cathedral and the “throwing lightning” “wheels of fire” of Chartres Cathedral are magnificent.
In the mid-13th century, complex colors were introduced into the paint scheme, which were formed by duplicating glass (Sainte-Chapelle, 1250). The contours of the design on the glass were applied with brown enamel paint; the shapes were planar in nature. In the Gothic era, the art of miniatures and the art of medieval books flourished. Their development was caused by the strengthening of secular trends in culture. Even illustrations with multi-figure compositions of religious content included finely observed realistic details: ornaments of plant motifs, images of birds, butterflies, animals, everyday scenes, whose poetic charm was conveyed by the French miniaturist Jean Pussel. Leading place in the development of French miniatures of the 13th–14th centuries belonged to the Parisian school. In the Psalter of Saint Louis (1270, Paris, Louvre), multi-figure compositions are framed by a single motif gothic architecture, which gives coherence to the narrative. The figures of knights and ladies are full of grace - their forms are drawn with flowing lines, creating the illusion of movement. The decorative architecture of the drawing, the density and richness of the colors turn the miniatures into a decoration of the page.
Restless angular rhythm, pointed forms, slender, sinuous lines, and filigree openwork patterns distinguish the style of the Gothic book. In the 14th–15th centuries, secular manuscripts were also illustrated—scientific treatises, books of hours, chronicles, and collections of love songs. In works of courtly literature, the ideal of knightly love was embodied in miniature; scenes of surrounding life were reproduced (Manuscript of Manes, circa 1320). The storytelling has intensified. In the “Great French Chronicles” (late 14th century), the artist sought to penetrate the meaning of the event depicted - these are real illustrations literary work. At the same time, the book was given a decorative elegance with the help of fancy frame shapes and exquisite vignettes. The miniature brought a living current into medieval art, influencing painting as well.
Gothic art is an important link in general development culture; Gothic works, spiritual and majestic, have a unique aesthetic charm. Gothic art gave rise to a new understanding of the synthesis of arts. Realistic achievements of Gothic, whose masters often reproduce the image of their contemporary in natural and subject environment, prepared the transition to the art of the Renaissance.
At least once, you have seen this picture. And the first thing you thought was: “Hmm... what’s going on here?”
The painting “American Gothic” makes a mixed impression on the viewer. Let's try to understand why this happens.
The painting was created in 1930 by artist Grant Wood. One day he saw a small White House in the Carpenter Gothic style. The artist liked the house, and he decided to paint a picture telling the story of the inhabitants of the house who could live in it. He chose his sister Nan and dentist Byron McKeeby as models. Wood painted the people and the house separately, the scene we see in the painting never happened.
A photograph showing the artist's sister Nan and Byron McKeeby, who became the heroes of American Gothic.
Once finished, Wood decided to submit his painting to a competition at the Art Institute of Chicago. The judges perceived the film as a “humorous valentine”, demonstrating the relationship of two spouses with life’s “baggage.” But the museum curator saw something different in the painting and persuaded the judges to award Wood a $300 prize and purchase the painting for the institute. By the way, she still remains there.
After acquiring the painting, they decided to publish the image in several city newspapers. The unexpected happened, the residents of Iowa, where the painting was painted, were angry satirical image residents of the state. One lady even threatened to bite off the artist's ear.
Grant Wood, in his defense, said that he wanted to create a collective portrait of Americans and did not want to hurt the feelings of the residents of the state. The artist’s sister also saw in the painting a humiliating attitude, albeit towards herself. She told her brother that in the picture she could be mistaken for the wife of a man twice her age. After the painting was shown publicly, Nan claimed that the painting depicted a father and daughter. However, the artist himself did not comment on this matter.
Some critics are confident that the film is a satire on the life of small American towns. During the 1930s, American Gothic became part of a growing critical view of the lives and values of rural America.
Now let's pay attention to some facts. Wood was a regionalist artist, not very well known outside his state. He himself grew up on a farm, in rural areas, loved nature and the landscapes of small towns. So why should an artist laugh at what he loves?
While working with Byron McKeeby on the man's image, Wood said he liked Byron's face. The painting shows the man wearing round glasses, but McKeeby wore glasses with octagonal lenses. But Wood's father wore round glasses, popular in the 19th century.
The image of the woman was based on her sister. In life Nan was a bright and positive girl, but in the picture she looks much older. Despite the fact that the picture was painted in the 20th century, the clothes of the characters are taken from victorian era, this is confirmed by the apron of the mistress of the house, (which Nan had to tear off from her mother’s dress, since they were no longer sold in stores), as well as the cameo, which was popular at that time.
It is possible that Wood was creating a memory painting in which characters and things reminded him of his childhood and the time when he lived on the farm. Moreover, during the Great Depression, the painting began to be seen as a depiction of the masculinity of American pioneers.
But, despite all this, the picture still leaves a strange, mysterious impression. Perhaps it has to do with the attributes and “behavior” of the heroes. If we look closely at the characters, we will see that the man stands in the foreground, the woman a little behind. With his elbow, he seems to hold her back, not allowing her to come closer. He holds a pitchfork in his hands, but holds it in a fist, which gives the gesture a slightly threatening appearance.
The church spire can be seen above the house. This is a reference to the heritage of the Puritan pioneers, who adhered to strict rules and did not like it when their property was invaded. quiet life. Behind the man’s back you can see a red barn, which indicates the owner’s occupation, as do the flowers on the veranda. But especially impressionable viewers see in the film the plot of a horror film. Due to this, the picture was subjected to ridicule hundreds, and maybe thousands of times. On the Internet you can find a lot of collages in absolutely different topics, ranging from horror films to parodies of famous characters, musicians, political figures.
Whatever the assumptions of critics and the public, what impression this picture makes is up to us to decide. In Chicago, for example, they thought it was a good idea to erect a monument to the heroes of the picture, as if releasing them into Big city with a suitcase.
“American Gothic” is a painting by American artist Grant Wood (1891-1942), known mainly for paintings dedicated to rural life in the American Midwest. The painting was created in 1930. She has become one of the most recognizable and famous paintings in American art of the 20th century.
According to the number of copies, parodies and allusions in popular culture"American Gothic" stands alongside such masterpieces as "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo da Vinci and "The Scream" by Edvard Munch.
The painting depicts a farmer and his daughter against the backdrop of a house built in the Carpenter Gothic style. IN right hand The farmer has a pitchfork, which he holds in a tightly clenched fist, just like holding a weapon.
Wood managed to convey the unattractiveness of father and daughter - tightly compressed lips and the father’s heavy, defiant gaze, his elbow exposed in front of his daughter, her pulled hair with only one loose curl, her head and eyes slightly turned towards her father, full of resentment or indignation. The daughter is wearing an apron that has already gone out of fashion.
According to the recollections of the artist’s sister, at his request, she sewed a characteristic edging onto the apron, taking it from her mother’s old clothes. An apron with the same edging is found in another painting by Wood - “Woman with Plants” - a portrait of the artist’s mother
The seams on the farmer's clothes resemble the pitchfork in his hand. The outline of a pitchfork can also be seen in the windows of the house in the background. Behind the woman are pots of flowers and a church spire in the distance, and behind the man is a barn. The composition of the painting is reminiscent of American photographs late XIX century.
The puritanical restraint of the characters is in many ways consistent with the realism characteristic of the 1920s European New Materiality movement, which Wood became acquainted with during a trip to Munich.
In 1930, in Eldon, Iowa, Grant Wood noticed a small white house in the Carpenter Gothic style. He wanted to depict this house and the people who, in his opinion, could live in it. The artist's sister Nan served as a model for the farmer's daughter, and Byron McKeeby, the artist's dentist from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, became the model for the farmer himself. Wood painted the house and people separately, the scene as we see it in the picture never happened in reality.
Wood entered "American Gothic" into competition at the Art Institute of Chicago. The judges praised it as a “humorous valentine,” but the museum curator convinced them to give the author a $300 prize and persuaded the Art Institute to purchase the painting, where it remains to this day. Soon the picture was published in newspapers in Chicago, New York, Boston, Kansas City and Indianapolis.
However, after publication in a Cedar Rapids newspaper, there was a negative reaction. Iowans were angry at the way the artist depicted them. One farmer even threatened to bite off Voodoo's ear. Grant Wood justified himself that he did not want to make a caricature of Iowans, but a collective portrait of Americans. Wood’s sister, offended that in the painting she could be mistaken for the wife of a man twice her age, began to argue that “American Gothic” depicts a father and daughter, but Wood himself did not comment on this point.
Critics such as Gertrude Stein and Christopher Morley believed that the picture was a satire on rural life small American towns. “American Gothic” was part of a growing trend at that time in the critical depiction of rural America, which was also reflected in the books “Winesburg, Ohio” by Sherwood Anderson, “Main Street” by Sinclair Lewis and others. On the other hand, Wood was also accused of idealizing antipathy towards civilization and denial of progress, urbanization.
However, during the Great Depression, attitudes towards the painting changed. It came to be seen as a portrayal of the unwavering spirit of the American pioneers.
“All my paintings initially appear as abstractions. When a suitable design appears in my head, I carefully begin to give the conceived model a resemblance to nature. However, I am so afraid of being photographic that, apparently, I stop too early” G. WOOD.
Wood is one of the leading representatives of the movement in American painting called "regionalism". Regionalist artists sought to create authentic american art as opposed to European avant-garde movements, promoting the idea of national independence and cultural identity of America.
Text with illustrations http://maxpark.com/community/6782/content/1914271
Reviews
The picture is very, very ambiguous, and the fact that Americans quite sincerely love it is a manifestation of this. At first glance, this is a caricature (the “idiotic” faces of the couple, etc.). But: a caricature of whom? For farmers? But the farming class is the backbone, the core of American society. Americans will not laugh at the farmer. The day before Civil War The slave-owning planters of the South were proud that they knew how to plow and do other field work themselves.
This is probably why it became a symbol of the Americans. Perhaps this is not entirely clear to us. But each country has its own history and its own priorities. At one time it became a reflection of the invincible spirit of the Americans. Sometimes the picture is criticized, and then it becomes popular.
This painting is not known to many people in Russia, but throughout the world it is considered a classic of American art.
The author of the picture is Grant Wood. The artist was born and raised in Iowa, where he later taught painting and drawing. All his work is performed with incredible precision the smallest details. But his most famous painting, American Gothic, has become a truly national landmark.
The story of the painting began in 1930 when the author accidentally saw a house in neo-gothic style in a small town in Iowa. Later he depicted a family who, in his opinion, could live in this house. It is noteworthy that the characters depicted have nothing to do with either this house or each other. The woman is the artist's sister. The man is his dentist. Wood painted portraits from them separately.
Why gothic? Pay attention to the attic window. In those days, it was popular among rural carpenters to weave various Gothic motifs into the construction of residential buildings.
Perhaps this is the most widely circulated image, but the lazy one didn’t come up with a parody of this picture. However, at one time the picture was perceived differently. After the publication of a reproduction of this painting in one of the local newspapers, angry letters rained down on the editor. Residents of Iowa did not like the way the artist depicted them. They accused him of making fun of rural population. Despite all the attacks, the popularity of the film grew rapidly. And during the Great Depression, this picture actually became an expression of the national spirit.
A monument to the painting was erected in Chicago. The enterprising authors of the sculptures released the heroes into the big city, taking a suitcase with them.
The picture made the small town of Aldan in Iowa with a population of almost 1,000 people popular. The house still stands in the same place, attracting tourists from all over the world.
Parodies of the painting "American Gothic".
