Goth

Today is the birthday of Grant Wood.  He trained in Europe, but was part of the American Regionalism movement in the first half of the 1900s.  Not that many paintings from that movement have survived in the public consciousness, yet Wood managed to create one of the most iconic images ever, "American Gothic."

The woman in the painting, by the way, is based on his sister Nan, while the man is based on his dentist.  The painting was first displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago.  They decided to buy it and it's still there. Many Iowans of the time weren't happy at how they were being portrayed. Whether the piece honors or mocks the people it represents, I couldn't say.