Grant DeVolson Wood was an artist and representative of American art, best known for his paintings depicting the rural American Midwest. He is particularly well known for American Gothic (1930), which has become an iconic example of early 20th-century American art. He became a leading figure of Regionalism, a movement that celebrated rural American life during the Great Depression.

Unlike European modernists, Wood focused on distinctly American subjects — farms, small towns, and local traditions.

Grant Wood helped shape a uniquely American artistic identity at a time when the U.S. was searching for cultural confidence. His paintings blend pride, nostalgia, and quiet humor, capturing the spirit — and contradictions — of rural America.

A comparison: Grant Wood paints who Americans think they are.

Edward Hopper paints how Americans feel when no one is watching.