Art Essay Example: A Formal Analysis of the American Gothic Painting by Grant Wood

American Gothic, 1930 by grant wood. All rights reserved wood graham beneficiaries/licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

American Gothic by Grant Wood is a masterpiece, ranks among the finest portrait of the 20th century, and is famous for his unique contribution to regionalism. When viewing the painting, it is important to realize the extent to which wood designed and conceptualized American Gothic. At first look, many believe American Gothic is a realist painting, in a sense, this is true looking at the painting, and then at the house, which was the model for the painting. However, it is clear that the painting was a pure work of satire with a woman, man and house characterized truthfully to look more realistic to themselves than they were in actual life.

The picture depicts a middle-aged man standing next to a woman (who could probably be his daughter or wife) standing in front of their house, which is a farmhouse depicting the 1890s architectural style known American gothic. Little of the background is visible because the figure of the man and woman are so close to the viewer. It is not still conclusive the relationship between the two since the painting lacks chemistry and warmth and the dull expression in their faces depicts an unhappy married couple or could easily mean the woman was his daughter. Looking at the painting background one realizes that the painting is of two American farmers in front of their house. The reason that makes the painting American is the traditional perception of firms in that particular time in history when farm life was an essential part of the American dream and as a core symbol of freedom during territorial expansions and spread of civilization. Some elements have been included to provide balance to the painting namely line color/light and shape.

The lines in the iconic painting are mostly repetitions of vertical lines clearly seen in the wooden frame planks of the house and the windows in the first floor, the lines in the model's overalls and the pitchfork the man is holding, the man's coat and both the faces of the man and the woman. The vertical lines make right angles when they meet with horizontal lines from the roof creating asymmetry. Also, an imaginary perpendicular line supports the man and woman who stand stiff. In a bid to unify and balance the painting the artist uses repetitive shapes e.g. the shape of the pitchfork is repeated on the overalls and the white shirt of the man and woman. The calico of the womans apron in again repeated in the drapes inside the gothic window. The color appears essentially monochromatic in addition to the painting lacking intensity of color even the red barn in the background appear to be faded except for the clothing that the two models are dressed in.

To me, the painting fits perfectly in the American issues of the time (around the 19th century) regarding farm life in America. The seriousness of the farmers gives the painting a grim and somber effect and the painter would have made the house look more spacious and relatively nice to give the viewer a more cheerful vibe. The painter remedies somber emotions of the art by painting the sky. However, the painting background lighting is not exactly the color of a common blue sky, which affects the mood. Looking at the painting, I see wisps which to me represents clouds of smoke. I interpreted this as a symbolism of the 19th-century industrialization of city life, which are in this case represented in a farm life symbolizing encroachment of city life in a rural setting. The painting is also a deep symbolism early symptom of social and political changes that were to be brought to the next century.

A careful examination of the picture reveals differences on the left side of the woman sharply contrasting with the right side of the man. There is plant above the woman's shoulders, the window above her shoulders also has its blinds up unlike other windows and there is a curl of the woman's hair opposite to the right side of the man blocking its view. I interpret this as the woman disobeying the man quietly and the window represents her view of the outside world, thus loosening the man's hold on her by loosening her hair. There is also a design in the man's coat that is very similar to the pitchfork that the man is holding. Looking at the way the man is holding the pitchfork with his right-hand fist suggest that the pitchfork can be a weapon if the need arises. Historically the shape of the pitchfork is similar to the weapon and symbol of the Greek god of oceans, Poseidon. This seems to suggest that the man is like a god in his homestead but is constantly challenged by rising feminism, which threatens his position this might explain the dull numb faces in the painting. To stamp this idea the man is standing slightly in front of her and he has her wearing an apron and collar symbolizing restriction.

Another striking odd is the roundness of the tree, which looks symbolically like a human head and is placed strategically on the woman's left side slightly above her head, which led me to the conclusion that her head could be part of a crowd of the secret onlooker. The man's head is way above the trees and literally placed in the clouds. I interpreted this as yet another sign of disobedience in the face of declining male superiority. The man, who symbolizes men, tries to be traditional and conservative and the unstableness of this rule is represented by vertical planks all over the painting except the horizontal planks above the woman's shoulders. Hence an overall representation of a woman's struggle to change their oppressive past under male domination. The woman's freedom movement comes from the left heading to the right where the oppression is originating which further explains the grim faces and tension in the painting. In secret, the woman is disobeying the restrictive rule of the man. The light also seems to emanate from the left side signifying victory of the woman against past oppression. Such are the shifts in a social paradigm that the picture represents and predict being incorporated in coming century. The American gothic style of the house suggests that the house is a man's church as in Gothic architecture and by his own representation as one holding the pitchfork where he is undermined in his own foundation. These are the core principles of freedom in America where everyone is equal in the land.

However, further research on the meaning of the painting revealed that the architectural style of the house was meant to mimic the gothic architecture of historic European cathedrals-characterized by Wood at a price American working class could afford. European cathedrals are symbols of timeless elegance and grandeur, which is a contrast to American gothic homes, which is, not build to stand in years to come. Wood uses this to satirize the modern American culture with authentic Gothic architecture taking issues with how it tries to be more dignified and established that it is real. The models were also not father and daughter or husband and wife, Wood used his dentist and sister as model representation. Both were painted separately but was later incorporated.

Specifically Grant Wood seem to analyze the oppressive confines of mid-western culture. In terms of composition, the artistic work indicates the claustrophobic and restrictive nature of life in his hometown American society. The grim and humorless expression of the model's faces suggest the true hardships in the face of the economic meltdown at the time. This proves the papers thesis that American Gothic by Grant Wood was more of a representation of satire than a work of realism.

References

Steiner, Michael C. "Grant Wood and the Politics of Regionalism." Middle West Review 3.1 (2016): 71-95.