Analysis Of Grant Woods Oil Painting American Gothic, 1930

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By listing the tools of the frames, subjective, structural, cultural and postmodern a better understanding of Grant Woods oil painting American gothic, 1930 can be obtained. The impact of its composition and use of signs and symbols on the subjective experience of the viewer can be clearly examined. In style and appearance it reflects woods desire to depict (to show) the wholesome values of the Midwest 30's American, appropriated by the many artists to demonstrate the shift in culture and value system of contemporary.

Wood demonstrated the composition of the American Midwest by placing the couple in the fore background. With the woman facing to her left and the man's stern direct gaze out of the portrait and looking directly at the audience. Behind them is a white house with a gothic window which is next to the barn and opposite to orchards and a church. There is a repetition of shape balances the painting, the shape of the pitchfork is repeated in the overalls and the white shirt of the man, just as it is the design of the gothic window. The symbols which had been used, the pitchfork associates with his connections with the land , the gothic window showed that they were religious which the white house symbolled of purity. Another one is the cameo which conservative piece of jewellery and the orchards which preserved fruit reference to the Garden of Eden. The colour of the painting also has no intensity of colour ,the red barn is faded except for the black coat and dress of the figures. The Couple are the first level of the painting; they overlap everything else, which making them the most important part of the piece.
In Woods statement " a country rich in the arts of peace; a homely loveable nation infinitely worth any sacrifice necessary to its preservation."He included in his painting that had captured his idea was by the use of objects which have been used in the painting. It makes the man in the painting 'sacrifice necessary to its preservation' which is doing the farm work due to him holding a pitchfork a tool of his occupation and wearing overalls unlike his partner. The women is placed behind the man which showed that the men at the time had more power which she is dressed neatly and by the looks of it keeps the home homely cooking cleaning etc ' in the arts of peace; a homely loveable nation.' The religion beliefs are demonstrated by the colour of their house which is white and how the women is neatly dressed and there's a church just behind the orchards in the background. The background alone feels peaceful as the look in the Midwest at the time that have suffered "the Great Depression". Comparing 'the original oil painting ' American Gothic' to the adapted version ' Son
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