Grant Wood

This photo was taken June 13, 2012 at Eldon, Iowa, in front of the house where the original

painting of American Gothic was done by Grant Wood. Posing for this photo were Ruth Carlson of Stone City, Iowa, and Dr. James Carlson of Rocklin, California. They are sister and brother. The persons used in the original were Grant Wood's dentist and his sister.

While on a recent visit to Iowa I learned several things about Grant Wood and his painting. Wood attended the same elementary school --Polk --as my sister and I in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was associated with Coe College and the University of Iowa where he taught. He traveled with Marvin Cone to Paris in the 1920's to

study painting. Cone was still teaching at Coe when I attended that college in the early 60's. 

Grant Wood was very productive in the 1930's.