Midwest gothic

Some other books about Grant Wood and American Gothic

A delightful children's book about America's most famous painting and its artist Grant Wood. There isn't too much text but the words mixed with Ross MacDonald's friendly pictures on each page give an accurate view of Wood's life and his American Gothic painting (I've always thought it could also be called American Exceptionalism as it visually sums up the ideals of that philosophy).

Wood with Thomas Hart Benton and John Steuart Curry were the leading artists of the Regionalism style based in the Midwest featuring agriculture and open spaces. Both Benton and Wood developed a very graphic style of painting with Benton creating a powerful montage look to his many murals. Wood's work frequently has a bird's eye view of the landscape full of lovely rolling hills, stylised trees and vegetation, MacDonald's pictures in the book capture this soft, warm feel of the countryside.

The last four pages in the book look at Regionalism and the public reception of American Gothic, Midwesterner's were none too keen it seems. There are four other paintings and a photo of Wood's sister Nan and his dentist Byron McKeeby who are the two people in the painting, the last page has a timeline of Wood's life and a short bibliography.