Anamosa - A Reminiscence 1838 - 1988

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Nan Wood Graham
Face as well known as Mona Lisa
by Mildred Brown
Artist Grant Wood's sister. Nan. was born July 19.
1899. on the family farm three miles east of Anamosa
She too, gained fame from being the model in his most
famous painting. “American Gothic‘. One art critic
commented.“Nan Wood's face is as familiar to the
world as that of ‘Mona Lisa’. "
Probably no other painting in history has been used
and caricaturized as often. or in so many ways. as the
‘American Gothic‘. One of the first to do so was General
Mills. In the early 1960s this company featured the
painting on a box of cornflakes. Their animated
television advertisment had the characters talking
about their product. In 1973 General Mills Corporation
executives entertained Nan at a grand reception and a
tour of their facilities.
Throughout the years. Nan has appeared on
countless magazine covers. in political cartoons.
advertisements. and greeting cards. Fitting the present
times. McDonald's Corporation commissioned a
caricaturized painting of a stern-faced farmer's
daughter holding a McDonald's hamburger carry-out
bag.
At the 1987 Jones County Fair. Betty Christophersen
of Clarence. Iowa. won first place in the crafts
department with her entry of an ‘American Gothic‘
couple resting on a wooden bench.
Because of the controversey over the painting. which
presented his sister. Nan. as a stilted. stern. plain
individual. Grant promised to paint her true portrait. by
way of apology. His 1938 ‘Portrait of Nan‘ became one
of his better known pieces of art.
When Grant designed the stained-glass window for
the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Cedar Rapids. he
used Nan's body as one model and another model for
the head. She humorously related her experience to one
ofher Anamosa friends. Dr.G.F. Brown. "l stood around
for days. wrapped in a wet sheet. so that Grant could
get the folds and creases just right. on the draped figure
he was working on."
Nan Wood was married to E.E. Graham August 1.
1924.
Unlike her portrayal in ‘American Gothic‘. Nan is a
quiet. strikingly pretty lady. with extreme poise: and.
like her brother. Grant. has a delightful and
mischievious sense of humor. Also like her brother. she
has many artistic talents. Besides doing her own
paintings. she designed and sewed her own wardrobe.
as well as doing this for others. Her designs reflected
her good taste. fitting her personality.
It was Nan's custom, on the anniversary of Grant's
death. to present to a school an appropriate gift as a
memorial. In 1962. she decided to do something
different and presented to her brother. Frank. an oil
painting portrait she had done of their father. The
portrait was unveiled at a party given by Nan and her
husband. Nan reported that the party was a great
success. but she added. "1 didn't dare invite anyone
who knew anything about artl"
Nan's husband died in 1967 and she has remained a
resident of California. where she is kept busy with
functions. events and correspondence relating to
Grant's and her own fame. An avid collector of
clippings, she has always been generous in sharing
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Nan Wood Graham poses beside a photo of her artist
brother. Grant Wood. (Photo by Dr. Gerald F. Brown)
‘extras’ with friends. Her collection was microfllmed by
the Archives of American Art — Smithsonian Institute.
Washington D.C.. to be preserved for posterity.
Nan once appeared on the popular TV program.
‘What's My Line?". and. as long as health permitted.
accepted invitations to visit school classrooms and
freely signed autographs. or posed with children. who
wanted the lady in the ‘American Gothic‘ to sign her
name for them.
In 1973 Nan was delighted when Judie Oepping. a
former Anamosa resident. designed and made a Nan
Wood Doll and presented the working-copy model to
Nan. Nan was so pleased that she suggested that it
should be copyrighted — which it was. Nan exclaimed.
"I never thought I would ever have a doll that looked
like mel" Numerous dolls have been purchased by doll
collectors around the nation. Afterward. while Nan was
being interviewed for Time magazine. she noted that
one ofthe reporters held the doll on his lap for the whole
interview.
Nan was in Anamosa in I973 as the guest of honor at
the flrst Grant Wood Art Festival. which has become an
annual event. now held at Stone City.
Her most recent return to Anamosa was in 1983.
when she had been flown to Eldon. _lowa. by Life
Magazine to pose in front of the Gothic house. which
was the background for the painting. After leaving
Anamosa. she proceeded to New York. where she
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