American artist Grant Wood (Grant DeVolson Wood, 1891–1942) is best known for his painting American Gothic. Starting with Impressionism, he later focused on realistic depictions of Iowa. He lived modestly, avoiding publicity. His strict Quaker father forbade art, but after his father’s death, Wood dedicated himself to painting.
American Gothic—one of the most recognizable, frequently copied, and parodied paintings—brought him worldwide fame, though Wood had no idea what to do with it. He spent his life trying to be talked about, written about, and known as little as possible. To achieve this, he spent years crafting the image of a “farmer-artist”—a painter in overalls, uneducated, and entirely unremarkable. In an interview, Wood once said: “I’m the plainest kind of fellow you can find. There isn’t a single thing I’ve done or experienced that would be worth talking about.”
In 1935, the loss of his mother and an unsuccessful marriage changed his life. He died in 1942, leaving behind a legacy as one of America’s most significant artists. Just a couple of days ago was the anniversary of his death, and a day later—his birthday.
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