The story behind one of the most famous paintings in American art. The stern, sober countenance of the elderly farmer. The quiet, loyal character of his prim wife. Few other paintings are so instantly recognizable as Grant Wood's masterpiece American Gothic. Bestselling Chicago author Thomas Hoving brings to life Wood himself and illuminates, as only he can, the allure of this iconic painting. This is the lively biography of Grant Wood, whose roots grew deep in the heartland of America, a poor kid in a small Iowa town. His painting was a reflection of the place where he lived and the world he knew. It is also a biography of the painting itself, from its inspiration, to its controversial unveiling at a juried exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago-where it earned derision, praise, and a bronze medal-to its eventual acceptance and recognition as a true original work of art. Today it ranks with the Mona Lisa and Edvard Munch's The Scream as one of the most well-known (and parodied) paintings in the world-and it remains a beloved piece of Americana.

Thomas Hoving was the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City from 1967 to 1977. During his tenure he doubled the size of the museum. He is also recognized for introducing the now ubiquitous "blockbuster" museum exhibition, designing the record-breaking Tutankhamun show. Hoving has written fifteen nonfiction and fiction books, including two national bestsellers, Tutankhamun: The Untold Story and Making the Mummies Dance.