Grant Wood

Grant Wood (1891-1942) was an American painter. His best known work is the 1930 piece American Gothic, depicting an impassive rural farmer and his wife (modeled by dentist Dr. Byron McKeeby and Wood's sister Nan). The image has become an iconic representation of the American midwest, and the target of countless visual parodies. Such spoofs retain the basic composition of the painting, with the wife on the left and the farmer typically clutching a pitchfork. Several Muppet productions have followed suit.

References

• The book Miss Piggy's Treasury of Art Masterpieces included "American Gothique," with Kermit as the farmer and Miss Piggy as the wife. The image was later used in Jim Henson's Muppet Masterpieces Calendar, and for a suncatcher released in the "Kermit Signature Collection."

• The first season Muppet Babies episode "What Do You Wanna Be When You Grow Up?" featured Baby Kermit and Baby Piggy as the farmer and his wife.

• The Dog City episode "The Big Squeak" included a canine version of the painting, as glimpsed in Thurston Howl's mansion.

• The Sesame Street song "Cluck Around the Clock" featured an appearance by Farmer Brown (a Pumpkin Anything Muppet) and his wife (Lavender), spoofs of the couple in Wood's painting.

• Grover and Betty Lou spoofed the painting on the back cover of the 2001 sticker book Museum of Monster Art.

• In the Elmo's World episode "Farms," Telly Monster and Rosita appear as the couple.

Gallery

"American Gothique"

Kermit Collection suncatcher

from Muppet Babies

from Dog City

from "Cluck Around the Clock"

from "Elmo's World: Farms"

Museum of Monster Art

Dinosaurs