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How “American Gothic” became an icon

You recognize this painting. But why?

How American Gothic became an icon

You probably recognize “American Gothic” — but it takes context to understand exactly why Grant Wood’s classic painting is so famous.

In this episode of Vox’s Overrated series (you’ll find the Facebook page here), I looked into the history behind this legendary painting. And it turns out that learning the history behind “American Gothic” helped me appreciate the work for the first time.

Watch the above video to understand how Wood created one of the most famous American works of art.