American Gothic
Oil painting on beaverboard • Grant Wood
Style & Movement
Regionalism / American Scene Painting
Medium & Technique
Oil paint utilizing precise, smooth brushwork and fine detail typical of Regionalism and American Scene painting
Creation Period
1930
Dimensions & Format
78 cm x 65.3 cm (30.7 in x 25.7 in), vertical portrait format
Subject Description
A portrait of a farmer and his daughter standing in front of a house built in the Carpenter Gothic architectural style. The man holds a pitchfork, and both figures exhibit austere, stern expressions.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Excellent, professionally maintained and preserved in a museum environment
Estimated Market Value
Invaluable / Not for sale (Estimated institutional value in the hundreds of millions if traded)
Auction Estimate
N/A (Held in a permanent public museum collection)
Provenance History
Submitted to the Art Institute of Chicago in 1930 where it won a medal and was purchased; held continuously in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago ever since
Art Historical Significance
One of the most famous and widely recognized paintings in American art history, serving as an iconic satirical and sympathetic symbol of 20th-century Midwestern rural life
Notable Features
Includes the distinctive Gothic Revival window in the background house and the iconic pitchfork held by the male figure, which have made the composition a staple of popular culture and parody
Condition Issues
None apparent; stable museum-controlled condition
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain strict climate control with stable relative humidity and temperature, low-lux LED lighting, and secure museum framing