Art for the American Home: Grant Wood’s Lithographs

In 1934, the Regionalist artist Grant Wood made an agreement with Associated American Artists (AAA) in New York to create a series of lithographs. Wood, the creator of Reynolda’s iconic 1936 painting Spring Turning, ultimately produced nineteen lithographs, about a quarter of his mature work. His consummate drafting skills made him a natural for the medium.

The AAA produced the lithographs in editions of 250 and sold them for $5 to $10 each. The opportunity to create affordable art during the Great Depression appealed to the artist. This small exhibition focuses on Wood’s narrative lithographs (Sultry Night, Honorary Degree, Shrine Quartet, The Midnight Alarm) and still lifes. The colored still life lithographs of fruits, vegetables, and flowers represent the fecundity of Iowa’s farmland.