The Great Depression, the longest and most terrible period of economic instability in American history, began in October 1929 and finally ended in November 1929 as the United States entered World War II. The American farmers, plagued by the Dust Bowl, were among those most affected by these hard times, and their plight is illustrated in Grant Wood's iconic painting, "American Gothic."
Although the name is not commonly known, almost everyone can identify the stereotypical painting of the farmer holding the pitchfork and his grim-faced wife. This painting, a result of a 1930s movement known as Regionalism, attempted to depict rural American life. One of the most profound aspects of this painting is Grant's attention to detail. The deeply etched wrinkles on the man and woman's face stand out as well as the intricate dot pattern on the woman's traditional 1930s-style dress.
There is also a sharp contrast between the faces of the farmer and his wife. During the Great Depression, it was not uncommon for farms to fail and for farmers to be evicted from their property, or to leave and try for a better life out west in California, like in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. The man has a much more confident expression on his face, like he has absolutely no inclination to leave his beloved farm, whereas the woman has a much more sombre expression, like she has given up hope and is worried about the future. One of the great things about this painting is that Grand Wood left it open for a wide variety of interpretations, and it will always be a treasured American classic.
