Sketch for house in “American Gothic”

Grant Wood, Sketch for house in "American Gothic", 1930, oil on paperboard, 12 ⁵⁄₈ x 14 ⁵⁄₈ in. (32.1 x 37.2 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Park and Phyllis Rinard, 1991.122.2R-V

Artwork Details

Title: Sketch for house in “American Gothic”
Artist: Grant Wood
Date: 1930
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: 12 ⁵⁄₈ x 14 ⁵⁄₈ in. (32.1 x 37.2 cm.)
Credit Line: Gift of Park and Phyllis Rinard
Mediums: oil
Mediums Description: oil on paperboard
Classifications: Painting
Subjects: Architecture Exterior — domestic — house
Study
Landscape
Object Number: 1991.122.2R-V
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1991.122.2R-V

Artwork Description

Grant Wood's two-sided painting has a landscape on the front, and a study for the old house that appears in his well-known work, American Gothic, on the back. Widely considered a regionalist painter--depicting realistic scenes of rural and small-town America--Wood spent his early career as a decorative artist before moving to fine art in 1916. His smooth, rolling landscapes with serpentine curves evoke his early training in design. In fact, many of his works originated as abstract patterns that evolved into real-life scenes once the artist was satisfied with the arrangement. This acute attention to composition is apparent in Landscape. The alternating shades of green balance the weight of the scene, and the winding path in the center draws us into the distance.