American Gothic (6/9)

American painter Grant Wood effected this painting that has inspired numerous Halloween costumes to this day. Created in 1930, the year following the stock market crash of 1929, it exposes the grimness of the agricultural life that was reality for a large segment of the population. Neither individual looks particularly pleased, and some might even say they look dissatisfied. The woman on the left looks into the distance while the man seems to make direct eye contact with the viewer. On the whole, the piece leaves us with an eerie feeling. According to the Art Institute of Chicago, however, “Wood intended it to be a positive statement about rural American values, an image of reassurance at a time of great dislocation and disillusionment.” (Image courtesy of WikiImages via pixabay)