Lesson 1 - LearningThroughMuseums

• His paintings of life in the Midwest are well known and part of an art movement called Regionalism.
Regionalist painters nostalgically recorded America’s rural areas and small towns, especially
in the Midwest and South, during a time of rapid industrialization and urban growth for the country.
The painters intended their images to be a positive force in an age of economic depression.
• Painted in 1930, the painting shows a man and woman (likely a farmer and his daughter) posed in
front of a farmhouse in rural Iowa. The architectural style of the house is called Carpenter Gothic,
which partially explains the title of the painting. “Gothic” refers to a period in the late Middle Ages
characterized by the use of the pointed arch, as seen in the second story window of the house
behind the couple.
• Although we cannot see the actual farm land, a portion of a red barn and the man’s overalls and
pitchfork suggest that these are farm folk. A church steeple far in the background reminds the
viewer of the religious values of many rural Americans.
• The serious expressions on the faces of the figures suggest they are unhappy, but are more likely
a reference to the common practice of early photographs, which had a long exposure time. It was
very hard to hold a smile for such a long time, so many people didn’t.
• The painting also includes many playful elements and patterns. For example, the rounded trees
match the rounded frames of the man’s glasses, and the brown and white design on the woman’s
apron are similar to that on the window curtain above her. By adding these playful touches, Grant
Wood helps us see that these two people were not as unhappy as their faces might suggest.
You will find additional useful information from the following sources:
Web sites
• The Art Institute of Chicago
Information about American Gothic:
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/6565
http://www.artic.edu/artaccess/AA_Modern/pages/MOD_5.shtml
• Information about The Coffee House:
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/118283
• American Art Collection:
http://www.artic.edu/artaccess/AA_American/index.html
Additional Web sites
• Terra Foundation for American Art: Grant Wood:
http://terraamericanart.org/collections/code/emuseum.asp?XXX_QS_XXX&newvalues=1&rawsea
rch=constituentid/,/is/,/32/,/false/,/true&newstyle=single&newprofile=people&newsearchdesc=Gra
nt%20Wood&newcurrentrecord=1&module=people
• Lesson Plan for teaching about the Carl Sandburg poem “Chicago” (1916):
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=678
* This lesson includes photos to compare and contrast with “The Coffee House.”
• Chicago History Museum Web site:
http://www.chicagohs.org/
66 • Lesson 4: The Midwest ‒ The City and the Farm