American Gothic as it Relates to the Industrial Revolution

A Response to Davenports Review of American Gothic After reading an except from The Geography of the Imagination, it is clear that timber, the creator of the world-recognized American Gothic, his included many subtle references to the way our country was changed by the Industrial whirling in his painting. Davenport begins his enlightenment by informing us that almost everything in this painting is a symbol, whether or not it was even intended to be one.He starts off with the house pictured in the background of the painting, telling us how it was a ready-made house that would be dropped off in pieces and simply put together by ossibly only two men. The geometry and simplicity of the house are the characteristics that spend a penny guided him to this conclusion. He later mentions both Sears Roebuck as well as JC Penney, which are both commonly known as companies who took advantage of and popularized mass produced items.Another case of this house that Davenport introduces to his au dience is the glass windowpanes. Previously a luxury item, the fact that this common farmhouse now has a glass plane is an example of how the Industrial renewal made certain less attainable items from the previous century, such as glass, as common as the spectacles on the armers face. Moving on to the characters portrayed, Wood has included many more references to mass production of tender ideas such as neverthelesstonholes, clothing that came ready-to- sew including fabric, patterns, and thread.The farmers overalls are also a depiction of a new fabric, denim, that was popularized for its economy at this time. Even their positions are reminiscent of the Brownie Box Camera and the farmers stance with his pitchfork which references that of Egyptian warfare. The implication of a cotton mill, soil works, and a roller press is a complicated ass of production and assembly lines that Davenport shows us is hidden behind something that appears so common to us a curtain.A quick look into the buttons seen throughout the painting gives us a tour of the world, pulling into the railroad and ocean-crossing boats that made these simple circles important. Overall, Davenport tells his readers that he is not certain of Woods intent, but regardless of the nature of the piece, he has left us many decipherable clues as to how our culture evolved during the Industrial Revolution. American Gothic as it Relates to the Industrial Revolution By rebeccachristensen92