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A Degree of Perfection


Honorary Degree Honor spring graduates as they take their optimism and new qualifications into the wider world!

In keeping with academic pomp, Grant Wood depicts himself (center figure) receiving an honorary degree. The black and white lithograph uses a traditional religious metaphor for knowledge and enlightenment—rays of sunlight streaming through a gothic-style lancet window.

If you are a die-hard Grant Wood fan, consider going to the annual Grant Wood Art Festival, held today in Anamosa, Iowa!

Pictured: Grant Wood, 1891–1942, Honorary Degree, 1938, lithograph on paper, 16 1/4 x 11 3/4 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Park and Phyllis Rinard in honor of Nan Wood Graham.