In class today we discussed using small but significant clues to sneak your way into a "text." Please peruse the above painting, titled "American Gothic," and respond to the following questions:
1. How would you describe the relationship between the subjects of this painting, and what clues helped you figure this out?
2. Why do you think the painting is called "American Gothic"? What image of America does this painting create? Do you agree with this image?
Remember to read the other posts to avoid repeating someone else word for word. Instead, focus on having a conversation with your classmates. Posts are due by 10 pm Sunday.
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ReplyDeleteIn this painting titled American Gothic.The relationship between the couple in this painting is pretty depressing.They both look like they are not having a good time and they really dont want to be there.You can tell this painting is american by the way the man and women are dressed.The man by having overalls on also they seem to be standing in front of a church so that's kind of american.So I guess I do agree with this picture that it has a bit of america in it.
ReplyDelete1. In the painting, the relationship between the man and the women is either father/daughter relationship or a married couple.
ReplyDelete2. I think this painting is called "American Gothic" because of the things that are in it. It shows the Gothic style from many years ago. The man has the pitchfork in his hand and the women dressed in that style. The house has a distinctive window which is also the style. The image it creates of America is that we are fancy.Sure I do agree with this image.
1. I am not sure they are very happy because none of them are smiling and they look like they do not want to be there. I see the wife looking away, so she does not want to be there.
ReplyDelete2. This is called American Gothic because the picture has a theme to it that is not warming. I also think it is called American Gothic because this is a side of america that no one ever really got to see, the farming part of it. People are not used to the idea of working on a farm so he is tying to expose that. This is the part of America that no one ever wants to be in, therefore the title, American Gothic.
1. I think the relationship of the subjects in this painting are dipicted as a husband and wife who live on a farm. I can tell they live on a farm because the man is holding a pitchfork in his hand. This painting is probably showing farm like in the 19th century, i can tell by the apron the women in the picture is wearing. The look on the man and womens face look hopless so their farm could be failing.
ReplyDelete2. I think this painting is called American Gothic because of the house in the painting. I have heard of houses being called "gothic" style. The image this shows of America is hardworking. I agree that America is all about hard work but it should feet more rewarding so the characters in this painting should not have that look on their faces.
1. I agree with Anthony C that the relationship of the subjects could either be married or daughter/father. Although the women kind of looks old, she also looks like she could pass as the mans daughter.
ReplyDelete2. I think this painting is called American Gothic because it symbolizes the past days maybe the middle 19th century. I believe certain clues in this picture symbolize America such as the mans pitch fork may symbolize they are on a farm or the hard work americans go through.
1. I would describe the relationship between the subjects in the "America Gothic" as not very happy or good because they look like they both want to be someplace different. The female is looking off into the distance.
ReplyDelete2. I think that this painting is called "American Gothic" because it shows a gothic style house. The painting creates the image of a hardworking farmer. I personally don't agree with the image that the picture creates.I believe that the image shouldn't look so fancy and have more of a smaller house.
1. I think the relationship between these to people in pretty bad because it looks like the woman is giving the man a dirty look.
ReplyDelete2. I think it was called "American Gothic" because of the way the house looks. the reason why I think this is because this seems like the way that america projected Gothic Architecture during that time frame.
The two people in this painting do not look very happy I would say their relationship is boring and they are not happy together. The woman in the painting is looking at the man like she is mad at him. I don’t think the title "American gothic" really fits the painting, I don’t see what is gothic about it except for the top window in the back ground. It paints a picture of America because it’s a painting of old times in America.
ReplyDeleteThe tow people don't look very happy, people usually didn't smile in older pictures. The people look very bored with everything and not very happy together. I think it is named "American Gothic" because of the style of the house and how America was back then. The picture is trying to symbolize how hard it was when most people were farmers.
ReplyDeleteI think the relationship between these two is clearly that they are married, but they don't seem very happy, maybe it is called American Gothic because they are depicting (big word) that they are not happy and they are wearing black, maybe something sad happened? They live on a farm which shows it took place quite a while ago, there is one of those rooster sign things on the top of their roof, a pitchfork in hand, and she has an Alexandria button on her shirt. But because they look so unhappy and it states it is American, it makes America look like a very depressing place, which is completely untrue (to me)
ReplyDelete1. In this painting it looks very sad, and these people look like they don't have a very good relationship with each other because none of them show any sign of happiness.
ReplyDelete2. I think that this painting is called "American Gothic" because it depicts farm life during the 15th century. Yes,I agree with it.
1. The relationship between the two people in the painting seems a little strained. It is as if the woman is angry, though she doesn't want to be. Looking at her eyes she seems stern in her anger but her eyes also show to me that she is maybe tired or sad behind her anger. The man has acknowledged her emotions but he seems to be distant and like he cannot help her.
ReplyDelete2. I chose to look a little deeper into the different definitions of Gothic and found that it's a Northern European architectural style. The name "American Gothic" fits the painting very well because even in the name, it shows that although we consider ourselves American, we have roots somewhere else. But because we all consider ourselves to be American, that's where we get the beginning of the title from. I agree with the title because I know my part of my heritage and I'm proud of my heritage.
1. In the painting, the relationship between the couple it seems that they have a very boring and uneventful life style. While the husband (or father) looks some what content with things, and the wife (or daughter) looks as though she is up set and worn out.
ReplyDelete2. I think that this painting is called the American Gothic because the house, as many people have said before, is gothic style. I both agree and disagree with the dipiction of the painting. I agree with it as far as it shows the hard work of Americans in order to make a living. But I do not agree with the expressions that are being portrayed through the couples faces. It shows that even though Americans work hard at what they do, they aren't always the happiest while doing it.
1. I think that the relationship between the two subjects is that they both just seem like they dislike there life and want to be somewere different.
ReplyDelete2. I think this picture is called american gothic because this is a picture that in a way portrays americas farm life in the 19th century.
1. I think the relationship in this painting is a married couple. The wife looks depressed about how their turned out. She is wearing an apron and it looks like she has to take care of the house. Her eyes make her look upset at her husband. The husband looks older and also looks upset. He's holding a pitchfork and works on a farm. They don't look happy together.
ReplyDelete2. In this painting the couple looks like a typical American couple in the 19th century. It maybe is called "American Gothic" because it's showing the culture at the time and the style of the house. Yes, I agree with this painting because during the time it was created America was farm-oriented. It shows what America was about.
1. I believe that the two persons in this painting must be father and daughter because the male's left hand is up and isn't wearing a wedding band, I also think that the man is protecting the girl just because of the way the girl is behind the man slightly, and the way the man holding the pitchfork in front of her instead of on the other side. So could he be shielding or protecting her from something such as the farm failing?
ReplyDelete2. Gothic paintings are characterized by a tendency towards realism so therefore I think that this painting is exposing the real lifes of many Americans whose lives didn't turn out the way they had wanted for example their farms might be failing who came to America and found that their 'dreams' weren't going to be able to accomplished.
1. I think that the relationship between the two people is not very strong because they have very bored, unhappy facial expressions. The wife looks upset because of the way her eyes are painted. Another clue is that the husband is frowning and the people just have and overall "dull" look to them.
ReplyDelete2. I think the painting is called "American Gothic" because, as said before, the two people live in a gothic style house. This painting shows the life of a typical American farmer in that time. I somewhat disagree with this picture though because it portrays American farmers as unhappy people. Not all of the farmers are unhappy like the two above.
1. The relationship between the two the two people in the painting is the best but looks as though they don't have much going on in there lives so they might not talk allot.
ReplyDelete2. The name of the painting could relate to the state of emotion that they are in and how the women doesn't seem interested and the man doesn't seem the to be the most enthusiastic person.
1. I think the two subjects/people in the painting have very blank expressions on their faces, yet stern faces. So this leads me to believe that the two are very vacant with life and don't have a whole lot of stuff going on, but the kind of mean and unsatisfied expression I believe they portray leads me to suggest they are not happy with their way of life.
ReplyDelete2. I think it is called American Gothic because it portrays not only the lifestyle of the people back then busy with farming and such, but also shows that they may not be content suggesting the gothic part of the painting. Great picture here, lots to analyze. The house itself is gothic so that may be a clue as well, but I'm not so sure as to why the couple or people shown in the picture are unsatisfied, any ideas? thanks
Biggie Smalls
ReplyDelete1. I think that the relationship between the man and woman is not very strong. They both look very stern and the woman looks very uninterested as she is staring off into the distance. They both look unhappy and not content. The man holding his pitchfork tells me that he is obsessed with his work on the farm and that's all he really cares about. He is also kind of ignoring the woman, so you can tell that he doesn't really think she matters much.
ReplyDelete2. I think that this is called "American Gothic" because it is obviously in America and the setting and time is gothic. It shows the Gothic styles through the man and woman's clothes and the house in the background. This image kind of says that America is basically a nation of unsatisfied people. I don't really agree with this painting if that's the case.
1. I would say that the relationship between the two subjects in the painting is distant and unenthusiastic.
ReplyDelete2. The images could demonstrate a possible synonymous feeling between people in that era of being trapped in a general lifestyle. The gothic-style house could simply be a representation of people’s similar, despairing lives at the time. In other words, everyone had not only the same style of house, but the same lifestyle, and that was basically how it was, no matter how unsatisfactory.
1. I think that the relationship between them seems more like brother and sister because they kind of look alike and they dont seem like they are atracted to one another. They seem like sad and bord.
ReplyDelete2. I think that it is called American Gothic because during the time that the painting was made we where going through the great depression. And that is what most people where like at that time, dark and sad.
1. As I looked closely at this picture of "American Gothic" I have to agree with Anthony C. and Emily W. saying that it is possible that the two individuals in this picture could either be a husband and wife or father and daughter. As Madeleine G. said the seemingly older man does not have a wedding band on his raised, left hand and the outside qualities of the two subjects in the picture make them seem to have a large enough age gap to be a father and daughter. However, due to the culture at that time it is possible that they are husband and wife, with the husband usually quite a bit older than the wife and there relationship being quite serious and basic to the public like in the picture. Due to the style of clothing and the pitchfork in the mans hand I gather, like many of you have said, that they are farmers from an older generation. That registers to me that they are in fact not upset, dull, or bored by life but are living in the culture of their day, which was typically a very hard working, serious, and practical lifestyle.
ReplyDelete2. I think this picture is titled "American Gothic" for a few reasons. Firstly, like many of you have said, the type of architecture of the house in the background is based off the gothic style in Europe. Secondly, the dark clothing the two people are wearing are similar to the stereotypical "dark" gothic style of today. Thirdly, as Madeleine G. said, a big part of gothic art was the realism involved and that picture showed the realism in olden day, rural America. It showed the very hardworking, serious lifestyle in which people lived to survive. Yes, they did have fun and weren't always serious and dull, but i think this picture brings out some parts of early life in America that was very stern and serious. They were hard working people and I agree with the picture that this picture paints of America at that time period.
1. I would describe the the relationship between them to be a farmer and his wife or daughter. I think he is a farmer because he is holding a pitchfork. Also they look like there wearing farming type clothing and they probably are not very happy.
ReplyDelete2. I think this is image is called american gothic is because of them living in america and the gothic style house. This image shows how life was back then, it was probably tough times back then and they weren't very happy. I agree with this image because it shows and puts and image into the minds of people of what life was back then.
1. The relationship between the two seems to be that their married. I figured this out because the two are standing close together and look about the same age.
ReplyDelete2. I think its called American Gothic because it shows the life style of their time. I do agree with this because the style of the picture shows the life style and how life was then.
The picture is sad in a way. The wife is looking at the husband like she is mad and the husband is just emotian less like they are both sad. they are also on a churh witch means they must be religous.
ReplyDelete1. The aged man is what I believe to be the girls father mostly because of age. Or the man could not be that old and be the husband they obviously work on a farm and probably couldnt afford to get a ring. The people in the painting were based on Grant Wood's Dentist and sister, so there are very many possibilities to what they could really be.
ReplyDelete2. The facial expressions, house and the barn create the title "American Gothic" It gives bad vibes of life in america its not like that, and at the worst curcomstances lifes maybe like that back there they did smile for pictures back there cause it took forever to paint/take them. I dont agree with this painting because it wasn't good for americans image
1. I believe that the two people standing in the painting are a father and daughter because the man on the left is very old and the women on the right is younger. I used the facial wrinkles.
ReplyDelete2. I believe that it is called the "American Gothic" becasue the man and women look very depressed and are wearing all black. The painting shows that the farm life was very plain and boring. I partially agree with the statement of the picture mostly because of the emotion on there face.
1. There is a very distant relationship between the two people in the painting American Gothic. The women is standing behind the man and looking at him with a sad dull glare that expresses hatred. The man is just staring with a mean look on his face.
ReplyDeleteHe looks very intiminating.
2. the painting is titeld American Gothic becuase it is showing the steryotipic American life of being a farmer, with a depressed mood to it.