 grant devolson wood (february 13, 1891 â february 12, 1942) was an american painter born four miles (6&nbsp;km) east of anamosa, iowa. he is best known for his paintings depicting the rural american midwest, particularly the painting american gothic, an iconic image of the 20th century."wood, grant", the columbia encyclopedia, 6th ed. 2011 == life and career ==  his family moved to cedar rapids after his father died in 1901. soon thereafter he began as an apprentice in a local metal shop. after graduating from washington high school, wood enrolled in an art school in minneapolis in 1910, and returned a year later to teach in a one-room schoolhouse."grant wood", answers.com  in 1913 he enrolled at the school of the art institute of chicago and performed some work as a silversmith. from 1920 to 1928, he made four trips to europe, where he studied many styles of painting, especially impressionism and post-impressionism. but it was the work of the 15th-century flemish artist jan van eyck that influenced him to take on the clarity of this new technique and to incorporate it in his new works. from 1924 to 1935, wood lived in the loft of a carriage house that he turned into his personal studio at "5 turner alley" (the studio had no address until wood made one up himself). in 1932, wood helped found the stone city art colony near his hometown to help artists get through the great depression. he became a great proponent of regionalism in the arts, lecturing throughout the country on the topic.http://www.artnet.com/galleries/artists_detail.asp?gid=267&aid=18073  wood was married to sara sherman maxon from 1935&ndash;38.[http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/books/chi-books-review-grant-wood-evans,0
1891_births 1942_deaths 20th-century_American_painters Alumni_of_the_AcadA(c)mie_Julian American_portrait_painters American_printmakers Painters_from_Iowa People_from_Anamosa,_Iowa People_from_Cedar_Rapids,_Iowa People_from_Park_Ridge,_Illinois People_of_the_New_Deal_arts_projects School_of_the_Art_Institute_of_Chicago_alumni University_of_Iowa_faculty