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The story
The models are Grant Wood’s sister Nan and his dentist, Byron McKeeby. They were not farmers, they were not married, and the house was one Wood saw in Eldon, Iowa and thought was pretentious.
It has been parodied more than any American painting, which means most people have never actually looked at it. Hang the real one and watch guests do a double take when they realise it is not a joke version.
Sits best in a kitchen or an entryway, in a plain wood frame that matches the house in the background.
What it pairs with
An entryway and a completely unironic wooden frame.
Buying notes
- Matte over glossy, always. Glossy reproductions fight every light source in a real room.
- Go one size larger than feels sensible. Undersized art is the most common mistake there is.
- Hang the centre of the piece at 57 inches from the floor. Non-negotiable.
- A three-inch mat costs about eighteen dollars and does more than a two-hundred-dollar print.
