Going American Gothic

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We decided to take a bit of a back way on our drive from Des Moines to Keokuk. After a stop in Pella for some pastries, we headed to Eldon, Iowa to see the American Gothic house. The drive was beautiful coming in and out of Eldon. I think I took some wrong turns and ended up on quiet highways with endless rolling green hills that were dotted with grazing sheep. It felt like I'd stepped out of the US and landed in Scotland.

The American Gothic house is in a setting different than you could imagine. I guarantee, unless you've been there, you wouldn't know that it's next to a disc golf course. It really is. We wanted to stretch our legs, so we checked out the house and then walked through the golf green and along a wooded sidewalk. Then we went back to the American Gothic house and checked out the visitor's center. If we'd wanted, we could borrow clothes to go outside and take a picture in costume. We decided to skip that part, but we enjoyed walking through and seeing all of the information about the painting, the artists Grant Wood, and how American Gothic has been incorporated into our culture. American Gothic is the second most parodied painting of all time (after the Mona Lisa). We read a lot about the painting while we were there. The woman and man weren't related; they just posed for the painting (and were really embarrassed about it, I guess!).

I always thought the name American Gothic was sort of in jest at the Gothic style of Europe. Almost like he was calling Europeans frivolous, and showing the contrast of the simple, hard-working Americans. Instead, I learned that the painting was named because of the window on the farm house. It's a simple farm house with a Gothic window installed in the upper floor. Apparently, Grant Wood thought it was really silly and frivolous.

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Photos

The Kids are American Gothic
So, apparently, what's unique about this house is the simplistic farm house with the Gothic, almost church-style window.

Next to American Gothic
The field next to the American Gothic house is a disc golf course.

Hiking by the American Gothic house
This little, paved trail winds down through the disc golf course to a small wooded area. It didn't seem like a very long trail, but it was nice to get out and stretch our legs.

Walking back to the visitor's center at the American Gothic house.
Eldon, Iowa