Comments on: Sustainable Food Myths

By: Cindy

Cindy — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:36:50 +0000

Ethan – or whatever name you are commenting under this week – get a life.
The point of the post – regardless of what the artist’s intent, models or location was – is that this painting is commonly used to symbolize the “simple life” of the traditional farming.
Get over it.

By: Ethan Edwards

Ethan Edwards — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:32:47 +0000

Anne, Since you are from Iowa, you must be aware the house in Grant Wood's picture is real, still stands, and is in Eldon, not on an Iowa farm. Eldon, Iowa ~ American Gothic House The picture is open to many interpretations, and Grant Wood was silent on exactly what he intended it to show, but most art historians think it shows a father protecting his spinster daughter's honor. But Wood was explicit that his goal was to paint a picture of the house, and then try to imagine the kind of people that lived there. And since the house is in a city, it is rather difficult to imagine Grant Wood imagined farmers living in it, unless of course they had sold the farm and moved to the city. And you're right, Grant's dentist posed as the father, while his sister posed for the daughter.

By: Anne from iowa

Anne from iowa — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:02:16 +0000

Ethan, perhaps you’ll believe the Art Insitute of Chicago, the long-time owner of “American Gothic”.

They indicate that it depicts an Iowa farmer and his unmarried daughter….

And the models were Grant Wood’s sister, Nan, and his dentist.

By: Ethan Edwards

Ethan Edwards — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:27:52 +0000

Ma and Pa Kettle on the little idyllic farmstead making a living on the soil with their bare hands.

You had better read up on your Grant Wood. That is a father and daughter, and they didn’t live on a farm. They lived in a small Iowa city.

And if you ever saw any Ma and Pa Kettle movies you could hardly call their farm idyllic. They lived on a hardscrabble farm in a hollow in Kentucky or Tennessee. (It never was clear.)