Grant Wood and Little Sister Nan: Essays and Remembrances [Paperback]

Julie Jensen McDonald (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1572160381 | ISBN-13: 978-1572160385 | Publication Date: May 31, 2000

This book traces the life of one of the most famous models in art. The life of the artist, her brother, is documented. Many illustrations. With over 40 photographs of the artist and his sister, this title, illustrated with family photos, tells the untold story of Nan's life. She is known worldwide as the woman who posed with the man holding the pitchfork in Grant's painting American Gothic. This is a book for Iowans proud of Grant Wood and for all those who like Americana-type subjects. The chapter Life with Edward is a tobacco road story of life in California in the 1930s. Perfect bound, 6 x 9", 142 pages. ISBN 1-57216-038-1

Product Details

• Paperback: 142 pages
• Publisher: Penfield Press (May 31, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572160381
• ISBN-13: 978-1572160385
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,001,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essays and Rememberances, November 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Grant Wood and Little Sister Nan: Essays and Remembrances (Paperback)

"Grant Wood and Little Sister Nan draws Nan Wood Graham out of the larger tapestry of Wood's life and gives definition to her loyal support of her brother and her own achievements. She was a pathfinder whose contributions extend into areas that cannot be easily measured." writes Mary Bennett, Special Collections Coordinator for the State Historical Society of Iowa.

Julie Jensen McDonald pieces together the spirit of the Wood family during the demanding and daring times of the 1920s and 30s, capturing the substance that nurtured the talent, resourcefulness, and fierce loyalty demonstrated by Nan Wood Graham until her death in 1990 at the age of ninety-one years. Intriguing and enchanting details, garnered from the vast collection of Grant Wood memorabilia now held by the Davenport Art Museum, and other sources, profile the woman behind the face in American Gothic. Nan tells how she was wooed by her brother into posing for the painting by a promise that no one would recognize her. As the Gothic couple became one of the most celebrated images in art history, she speaks candidly of the joy as well as the vulnerability of "celebrity," including the innumerable parodies which depict a wide range of social conditions.

Joan Liffring-Zug Bourret, Penfield Press publisher, presents a pictorial documentary along with a"Passages in Time" of the Wood family, and rare insights from friends, acquaintances and admirers of Nan and her brother Grant Wood.

Essays by friends and close associates reveal the extent of Nan Wood Graham's devotion to the memory of her brother and to the places where they spent their early years. Personal letters and other commentaries provide a view of her fondness for time and place: early years in Anamosa, Iowa, growing up in Cedar Rapids, the generosity of friends in the Amana Colonies in times of great need, and the support of friends and mentors in the Iowa City and Davenport areas. Nan was often cast as a "fierce guardian of the truths of her brother's life." The Epilogue "Myths About Grant Wood," based on several years of research with Nan and other sources by the late John Zug, presents some truths to dispel many of the myths that often accompany notoriety.

This book adds a dimension to the woman in American Gothic. At age eighty three, Nan said the painting saved her life from being drab. Even though she didn't think the "painted" lady looked anything like her when it was first displayed, she had now decided that: "We look a lot alike. She's really become me."