Thirtyfive Portraits From American Collections Art News 29 No 33 May 16 1931

1930

Grant Forest
American, 1891–1942

In American Gothic, Grant Wood straight evoked images of an earlier generation by featuring a farmer and his daughter posed stiffly and dressed as if they were, as the creative person put it, "tintypes from my old family album." They stand up outside of their home, built in an 1880s style known every bit Carpenter Gothic. Wood had seen a similar farmhouse during a visit to Eldon, Iowa.

When it was exhibited at the Fine art Establish in 1930, the painting became an instant awareness, its ambiguity prompting viewers to speculate nearly the figures and their story. Many understood the work to be a satirical comment on midwesterners out of step with a modernizing globe. Yet Woods intended information technology to convey a positive image of rural American values, offering a vision of reassurance at the outset of the Great Depression.

Condition: On View, Gallery 263
Department: Arts of the Americas

Artist: Grant Woods
Championship: American Gothic
Identify: U.s.a. (Object fabricated in)
Date: 1930
Medium: Oil on Beaver Board
Inscriptions: Signed and dated lower right on overalls: GRANT / WOOD / 1930
Dimensions: 78 × 65.3 cm (xxx 3/iv × 25 3/four in.)
Credit Line: Friends of American Art Collection
Reference Number: 1930.934

"Prize Awards in the Annual American Exhibition," Message of the Art Institute of Chicago 24, no. 9 (Dec 1930): 120.
Bulletin of the Art Institute of Chicago 25, no. 2 (Feb 1931): cover (ill.), 8, 25.
"Loans to Other Museums and Institutions," Bulletin of the Art Plant of Chicago: Report for the Twelvemonth 1931, 26 no. 2 (Feb 1932): 70.
"Loans to Other Museums and Institutions," Bulletin of the Art Constitute of Chicago: Report for the Twelvemonth 1933 28, no. 3 (Mar 1934): 71, 73.
"Loans to Other Museums and Institutions," Bulletin of the Art Institute of Chicago: Written report for the Year 1934 29, no. 3 (Mar 1935): 72.
"Loans to Other Museums and Institutions," Bulletin of the Art Found of Chicago: Study for the Yr 1935 30, no. three (Mar 1936): 68.
Frederick A. Sweet, "Half a Century of American Art," Message of the Art Constitute of Chicago 33, no. half dozen (No 1939): 97.
Anita Brenner, "Is At that place An American Art?," The New York Times Magazine (November 23, 1941), sick. p. thirteen.
Frederick South. Wight, Milestones of American Painting in Our Century, introduction by Lloyd Goodrich (Boston: The Institute of Contemporary Fine art with Chanticleer Press, New York, 1949), 30, 74, sick. pl. 21, 75.
Aline B. Louchheim, "A New Yorker Visits the Fine art Found," The Fine art Plant of Chicago Quarterly 46, no. 2 (Apr 1, 1952): 23.
"People and Events: Portraits on Idiot box," The Art Institute of Chicago Quarterly 50, no. 2 (April 1, 1956): 39.
Henri Dorra, The American Muse (Viking Press, 1961), 124, ill. p. 156.
"Summertime Gallery Talks," Calendar of the Art Plant of Chicago 65, no. three (May–Aug 1971): 18.
"Lecturer's Option: Fifteen Minute Gallery Talks for Summer," Bulletin of the Art Institute of Chicago 67, no. 3 (May-Jun 1973): 11.
Matthew Baigell, The American Scene: American Painting of the 1930s (Praeger Publishers, 1974), 18, 109, 110, 111, ill. 1, 12.
"Public Lectures," Bulletin of the Art Institute of Chicago 69, no. four (Jul–Aug 1975): 8.
"Public Lectures," Bulletin of the Art Institute of Chicago 73, no. 5/six (Sep–Dec 1979): 14.
Wanda Corn, "The painting that became a symbol of a nation's spirit," Smithsonian xi, 8 (Nov 1980), 84–96, sick. p. 85.
Wanda 1000. Corn, Grant Wood: The Regionalist Vision, exh. cat. (Minneapolis Institute of Arts/Yale Academy Printing, 1982), 3, 25–26, 33, 35, 60, 128–142, pl. 32.
Wanda Grand. Corn, "The Birth of a National Icon: Grant Wood's American Gothic," The Art Establish of Chicago Centennial Lectures, Museum Studies 10 (Art Institute of Chicago/Contemporary Books, Inc., 1983), 253–275, fig. i.
Davenport Museum of Art, IA, Grant Wood: An American Master Revealed (Davenport Museum of Art/Pomegranate Books, 1995), 24, 69–73, 96–98, true cat. xvi, pl. 16.
Art Institute of Chicago, The Fine art Institute of Chicago: Twentieth–Century Painting and Sculpture, selected past James N. Wood and Teri J. Edelstein (Fine art Institute of Chicago, 1996), 67, ill.
James M. Dennis, Renegade Regionalists: The Modern Independence of Grant Wood, Thomas Hart Benton, and John Steuart Back-scratch (University of Wisconsin Press, 1998), 14, 19–20, 100–02, fig. 7.
Lea Rosson DeLong, Grant Wood's Chief Street: Art, Literature and the American Midwest, exh. true cat. (Ames, Iowa: Brunnier Art Museum, University Museums, 2004), 17–18, 24, 27–29, 39, 97, 104, 106, 159, 203, 205, 207, fig. 12.
Thomas Hoving, American Gothic: The Biography of Grant Wood's American Masterpiece (Chamberlain Bros., 2005).
Stephen Biel, American Gothic: A Life of America's Most Famous Painting (Due west.Westward. Norton & Co., 2005).
Sue Taylor, "Grant Wood'south Family Album," American Fine art 19, 2 (Summer 2005): 48–67.
Judith A. Castling et al., American Modernism at the Art Establish of Chicago, From World War I to 1955, (Chicago: Art Found of Chicago/Yale University Press, 2009), cat. 79.
Laura Hoptman, "Wyeth: Christina'south Globe," One on One (The Museum of Mod Art, 2012), 4 (ill.).
Duane Preble Emeritus et al., Prebles' Artforms (Pearson, 2013), 11th ed., 428. (ill.).
Chantal Georgel, "Millet," (Citadelles et Mazenod, 2014), (sick.).
Paintings at the Fine art Institute of Chicago: Highlights of the Collection (Chicago: Fine art Institute of Chicago/Yale University Printing, 2017), 123.
Judith A. Barter, "Prolog: Ein neue Welt der Kunst," in Es war einmal in Amerika – 300 Jahre US-amerikanische Kunst [Once Upon a Time in America: 3 Centuries of American Art], eds. Barbara Schaefer and Anita Hachmann (Cologne: Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud/Wienand Verlag, 2018), 24, fig. 10 (ill.).
Andrew Graham-Dixon, "'American Gothic' — Grant Wood's Midwestern mystery," Christie'due south, Oct 22, 2019, https://www.christies.com/features/American-Gothic-A-Midwestern-mystery-10143-i.aspx, (sick.).
Marta Ruiz del Arbol, ed., Georgia O'Keeffe, exh. cat. (Madrid: Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, 2021), 66–67, fig. 45 (ill).
Sarah Rose Sharp, "How Grant Wood'southward 'American Gothic' Continues to Inspire Artists," Hyperallergic, Mar. 30, 2022, https://hyperallergic.com/719745/how-grant-woods-american-gothic-continues-to-inspire-artists, (ill.).

Art Institute of Chicago, The Forty–third Annual Exhibition of American Paintings and Sculpture, Oct 30–Dec xiv, 1930, true cat. 207, ill.
Cedar Rapids, IA, Feb 1931.
Buffalo Fine Arts University, Albright Art Gallery, 20–5th Annual Exhibition of Selected Paintings past American Artists, Apr 26–Jun 22, 1931, cat. 139, ill. p. 26.
San Diego Fine Art Gallery, Prove of Gimmicky Eastern Painting [probably], c. Jun 1932, no cat.; Santa Barbara, CA, Faulkner Memorial Fine art Gallery, c. Aug 1932.
New York, Whitney Museum of American Art, Paintings and Prints by Chicago Artists, Feb 28–Mar xxx, 1933, cat. 37, sick. frontispiece.
Art Institute of Chicago, A Century of Progress Exhibition of Paintings and Sculpture, Jun 1–Nov one, 1933, cat. 666, pl. 92.
Washington, DC, Phillips Collection, Nov 1933–Feb 1934.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Museum of Art, Mar 31–Apr 10, 1934.
Fine art Institute of Chicago, A Century of Progress Exhibition of Paintings and Sculpture, Jun 1–Nov 1, 1934, cat. 716.
Chicago, Lakeside Press Galleries, Loan Exhibition of Drawings and Paintings past Grant Woods, February–Mar 1935, cat. 33, ill. p. 23.
New York, Ferargil Galleries, An Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings by Grant Forest, Mar–April 1935, cat. 15.
Kansas City, MO, William R. Nelson Gallery, Oct 2–November 8, 1935.
Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, The Centennial Exposition, Jun 6–Nov 29, 1936, cat. 15, ill. p. 64.
Chicago Woman'south Club, Jan twenty, 1937.
Bloomington, IL, Fundamental Illinois Art Exposition, Mar 19–Apr 8, 1939, true cat. 106, sick. p. 29.
Iowa City, Fine Arts Festival, Iowa Union Lounge, University of Iowa, Exhibition of Paintings by Grant Wood and Marvin D. Cone, Jul xvi–23, 1939, cat. 23.
Fine art Establish of Chicago, Half a Century of American Art, Nov 16, 1939–January 7, 1940, true cat. 178, pl. 46.
Bloomfield Hills, MI, Cranbrook University of Art, May 17–Jun 6, 1940.
Northampton, MA, Smith College Museum of Art, American Fine art: Aspects of American Painting, 1900–1940, Jun 12–22, 1940, cat. 33.
Worcester Art Museum, A Decade of American Painting 1930–1940, February 18–Mar 22, 1942, ill. p. 23.
Cedar Rapids Art Association, Grant Forest Memorial Exhibition, Sep 1–Oct 1, 1942, no cat. See Cedar Rapids Gazette, 9/six/1942.
Art Institute of Chicago, Memorial Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings past Grant Wood, included in the Fifty–third Annual Exhibition of American Paintings and Sculpture, Oct 29–Dec 12, 1942, cat. two, color ill. frontispiece.
New York, Museum of Mod Art, 20th Century Portraits, December 8, 1942–January 24, 1943, p. 145, ill. p. 99.
Baltimore, Doctor, Feb 12–Mar 7, 1943.
Worcester Art Museum, Mar 17–Apr 19, 1943.
Boston, The Institute of Modern Fine art, 10 Americans, Oct 20–Nov 21, 1943, cat. 29, ill.
Saginaw, MI, Saginaw Museum of Fine art, An Exhibition of American Painting from Colonial Times until Today, Jan ten–Feb fifteen, 1948, cat. 71, pl. 13.
Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Famous American Paintings, Oct 9–31, 1948, n.pag., ill.
Boston, Institute of Contemporary Art, Milestones of American Painting in Our Century, c. Jan 2–c. Mar 3, 1949, cat. 21.
Montreal, Canada, Mar xviii–Apr 20, 1949.
Canadian National Exhibition Art Exhibit, Aug 26–Sep 10, 1949.
Beloit, WI, Beloit College, Oct eleven–Nov 11, 1949.
Dayton, OH, Dayton Fine art Institute, The Creative person and His Family, Mar 3–Apr 1950, cat. 40.
Cedar Rapids, IA, Coe College, Centennial Exhibition, May 15–Jun nine, 1952, true cat. 24.
New York, Wildenstein, Landmarks in American Art, 1670–1950, Feb 26–Mar 28, 1953, cat. 50, ill.
Syracuse Museum of Fine Arts, 125 Years of American Art, Sep xv–Oct 11, 1953, cat. 59, sick. p. xviii.
Dubuque, IA, Dubuque Art Association, Thirty Years of Grant Wood, Feb fifteen–Feb 23, 1955, cat. nine.
Des Moines, IA, Des Moines Art Centre, Communicating Art from Midwest Collections: American and European Paintings and Sculpture, 1835–1955, Oct 13–Nov 6, 1955, cat. xx, ill.
Davenport, IA, Davenport Municipal Art Gallery, Grant Wood and the American Scene, Feb 3–24, 1957, cat. five, sick. p. 5.
Lake Forest, IL, Durand Art Establish, Lake Forest College, A Century Of American Painting: Masterpieces Loaned by The Fine art Establish of Chicago, Jun ten–16, 1957, true cat. 24.
Brooklyn Museum of Art, Face of America: The History of Portraiture in the United States, Nov 13, 1957–January 26, 1958, cat. 92, fig. 41.
Washington, DC, Corcoran Gallery of Art, The American Muse: Parallel Trends in Literature and Art, Apr 4–May 17, 1959, cat. 130.
Art Constitute of Chicago, Art in Illinois, In Honor of the Illinois Sesquicentennial, Jun xv–Sep eight, 1968, p. 10.
Fine art Plant of Chicago, 100 Artists, 100 Years: Alumni of the SAIC, Centennial Exhibition, Nov 23, 1979–January 20, 1980, cat. 112, ill. p. 35.
New York, The Whitney Museum of American Art, Grant Wood: The Regionalist Vision, Jun sixteen–Sep four, 1983, cat. 25, pl. 32; Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Sep 25, 1983–January ane, 1984; Art Found of Chicago, January 21–Apr xv, 1984; San Francisco, Yard. H. DeYoung Memorial Museum, May 12–Aug 12, 1984.
Omaha, NE, Joslyn Art Museum, Grant Wood: An American Master Revealed, Dec x, 1995–February 25, 1996, cat. fourteen, pl. 16; Davenport, IA, Davenport Museum of Fine art, Mar 23–Sep 8, 1996; Worcester, MA, Worcester Art Museum, October 6–Dec 31, 1996.
New York, The Whitney Museum of American Fine art, The American Century: Fine art and Culture, 1900–1950, Apr 23–Aug 22, 1999, cat. 435, color ill. p. 225.
Cedar Rapids, IA, Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Grant Wood at 5 Turner Alley, Sep 10–December 4, 2005.
Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian Establishment, Grant Wood's Studio: Birthplace of American Gothic, Mar 10–Jun 11, 2006.
Des Moines Art Center, After Many Springs: Art in the Midwest in the 1930s, January 30–Mar 30, 2009.
Art Institute of Chicago, America After the Fall: Painting in the 1930s, Jun v–Sep 18, 2016; Paris, Musee de l'Orangerie, Oct 15, 2016–Jan 30, 2017; London, Royal Academy, Feb 25–Jun four, 2017, true cat. 47.
New York, Whitney Museum of American Art, Grant Wood: American Gothic and Other Fables, Mar 2-Jun 10, 2018, no true cat no., pl. 33, checklist p. 259.

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