A Closer Look at Grant Wood

Iowans are familiar with Grant Wood, or at least, they’re familiar with his art. “American Gothic” and “Arbor Day,” which was used as a design for the Iowa quarter, come to mind. Those who have visited the library at Iowa State University know of his murals. Places he lived in Anamosa, Stone City, Turner Alley in Cedar Rapids or his home in Iowa City are also known to many.

But people may not be as familiar with the man, Grant Wood.

There are many books and articles on Wood and his art, but a new book, “Grant Wood’s Secrets,” (University of Delaware Press, 2020) explores his life in new ways. Sue Taylor, professor emerita of art history at Portland State University, did exhaustive archival research in order to analyze his life and has produced a psychological portrait of a significant American artist’s inner life and his art.

For a half century after his death, in 1942, Wood’s sexuality was hinted at, but it was not openly discussed until this century, led by authors including Henry Adams, R. Tripp Evans (“Grant Wood: A Life”) and now Sue Taylor. Her work is quite academic in tone, and readers may not agree with its interpretations or investigative approach.

This book contains some important elements that enhance the work. Taylor explores Wood’s life, but she also examines his art, and the book features more than 100 photographs and pieces of art by Wood and other artists.

The book also includes “Return to Bohemia,” an autobiography attributed to Wood that may other scholars have cited but Taylor is the first to publish it in full. The 128-page manuscript is in the Archives of American Art in Washington, D.C., and Taylor’s new book provides a thorough discussion of its authorship. Was it written by Wood himself or was it partially written by his assistant, Park Rinard, who submitted the manuscript for his master’s thesis at the University of Iowa?

The publication of “Return to Bohemia” is an important contribution to the scholarship on Wood. It will be interesting to see what other art historians think of “Grant Wood’s Secrets.”

This book is one of three finalists for the Shambaugh Award, which honors the year’s best new book about Iowa history and is named for a former superintendent of the State Historical Society of Iowa. The 2021 winner will be announced in late May.

— Reviewer Jerome Thompson of Des Moines is a former state curator for the State Historical Society of Iowa and now serves on its board of trustees.