♪♪ [Kohlsdorf] Iowa artist Grant Wood was a key figure in the regionalist art movement of the 1930s, which favored traditional, often rural scenes taken directly from everyday life.

Wood's chance encounter with a memorable southeast Iowa farmhouse would produce one of the best-known artworks of the 20th century.

[Cari Nicely] So, when he came to this little town of Eldon, his inspiration was that big window on that little tiny house that kind of made him chuckle and say, well that's pretty pretentious for such a small home in a very modest area.

And so, that gave him the idea for his painting, which is now known as American Gothic.

He wanted the models to be people that he imagined lived there.

They're not kings.

They're not queens.

And that is definitely not a castle.

This was very crucial at a time that our country was in really bad shape.

We're at the beginning of the Great Depression.

[Kohlsdorf] Today, Wood's iconic canvas is celebrated at the American Gothic House Center, an interactive museum dedicated to preserving the legacy of the world-famous house and window next door.

[Cari Nicely] When you come down the lane, the first thing you see is the famous house.

And then off to the left, you'll notice that there is another building, which is the Center.

You can come in and you can learn a little bit more.

The two models were his sister Nan and his dentist Dr. Byron McKeeby.

They did not know each other.

They did not pose in front of the house.

You could even borrow the costumes, with the admission price you can use the costumes and go take your own picture in front of the house with the costumes, the pitchfork.

His painting was finished in October of 1930 and he entered it into the annual art show at the Art Institute of Chicago.

He won third place and with that he got $300 and I believe it's the Friends of the Art Institute of Chicago, they purchased it for another $300.

They are the owners.

They are still the owners.

But as for the town, it's about the house.

And the people here are very proud of that.

It is a way for tourism to come here to a town of I think it's 783 people now to bring people.

We had around 16,000 people in the last fiscal year and it brings people from all over the world.

[Tourist] We're from Ontario, which if you imagine Detroit, we're about 50 miles due east.

It must be tough to be an artist in a farm community because it's not like you're doing real work, you know, you're doing that other thing.

But he prevailed and it's amazing that the house has survived.

♪♪ [Tourist] It's just a great stop along the road.

♪♪