American Gothic

The famous painting, American Gothic, has been on display at the Cincinnati Art Museum for several weeks and I managed to squeeze in a visit during its final showing.

American Gothic is an oil painting, done in 1930, by American artist Grant Wood (1891-1942). I've seen many reproductions of this image and never took much mind of it. Now that I have seen the original piece, I'm still not sure why it warrants such acclaim. I learned from my visit that this painting was placed on exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago and won the artist $300, after which was purchased by the Friends of American Art for permanent inclusion into the institute's collection. Then, as we say today, it went viral.

Here are a few words from the artist about his masterpiece:

I just love the Cincinnati Art Museum. They always have wonderful traveling exhibits, even if they are not my preferred style of artwork, along with an amazing permanent collection. Every time I visit the museum to see the featured exhibit, I also revisit my favorites.

Vincent van Gogh, Undergrowth with Two Figures, oil on canvas, 1890. 

This is the plaque summation for this piece:
Ghosts seem to move through van Gogh's forest. The Dutch Post-Impressionist artist, who expresses nature's abundance with his improvised brushwork, strong colors, and an emotion that was raw and visible, here seems to presage his own death, which occurred a week after he finished the painting.

I learned that in May 1890, van Gogh moved to a small village north of Paris and, prior to his suicide in July, painted nearly one canvas a day. How odd! I would love to see a few of the other paintings from that time. Sounds like an artistic genius, madly spinning out of control. What a sad ending. I look at this painting a little differently, knowing that the artist took his own life one week after completing it. Really makes me wonder about the human spirit and its precious, intricate, and ever-so delicate existence.