|
The American Gothic House, also known as the Dibble House, is a house in Eldon, Iowa, designed in the Gothic Revival style with a distinctive upper window.〔("Grant Wood" ), Art Institute of Chicago. Retrieved December 14, 2008.〕 It was the backdrop of the 1930 painting ''American Gothic'' by Grant Wood. Generally considered Wood's most famous work and among the most recognized paintings in twentieth century American art, the painting is the model for hundreds of parodies across every creative medium. Grant Wood, who observed the house only once in his lifetime, made only an initial sketch of the house—he completed ''American Gothic'' at his studio in Cedar Rapids. First owned by Eldon resident Charles Dibble after its construction in 1881 and 1882, the home was (with one 1897 exception) a private residence until the late twentieth century. After a thirty-year preservation effort culminated with the donation of the house in 1991 to the State Historical Society of Iowa, the site now includes the original house in its 1930 form and a visitors center. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Since 1991, various caretakers have continued to rent the home privately.〔A timeline of residents is maintained on a placard at the American Gothic House Center.〕 ==Early history and architecture== Charles A. Dibble (born 1836 in Saratoga County, New York), by various accounts a railroad man,〔Page 235 of the Iowa portion of the 1880 United States Census indicates a Chas. A. Dibble of Eldon is employed in "Railroading."〕 livery stable owner, and Civil War veteran, lived in Eldon in the late nineteenth century. He and his wife, Catharine, began building the house in 1881 for themselves and their eight children. Its relatively simple board-and-batten siding, white color, and moderate size—just —were quite common in nineteenth century Iowa architecture. A similar style can be observed in the birthplace of President Herbert Hoover in West Branch, built a decade before the American Gothic House, which features board-and-batten siding, a simple shingled roof, a central chimney, white color, and a moderate size as well. Unique and unusual exterior features of the house include its two Gothic windows in the gable and its steep-pitched roof. Both features would later be exaggerated by Grant Wood in ''American Gothic''. The lower floor of the house contains three rooms and a bathroom, while the upper floor has two bedrooms.〔The interior of the home is described on a sign posted outside the house and qtd. in Biel, pp. 18–9.〕 The house has been called the best-known example of a Carpenter Gothic cottage in the United States.〔 There is no conclusive evidence explaining why the Dibbles chose to place Gothic windows on the upper level. The windows are believed to have been purchased through the Sears catalog. There are two commonly accepted theories: the Dibbles may have wanted the windows to beautify their home at a time when rural life in Iowa was a struggle, or they could have been following a trend in which extravagant details were desirable in residences in the late nineteenth century, and the Dibbles chose windows whose costs would have been relatively reasonable at the time.〔 The Dibbles' house was foreclosed around 1897 after they were unable to pay their taxes, and they moved to Portland, Oregon by 1900.〔Indicated in the 1900 United States Census are a Charles A. and Catharine Dibble of Michigan Ave., Portland, Oregon. Subsequent census records seem to indicate that the Dibbles spent the remainder of their lives there.〕 It exchanged hands several times until 1917, when Gideon and Mary Hart Jones purchased it. The Jones family owned the house until 1933 (and notably added a kitchen which created the west wing of the house); thus, it was the Jones family who allowed Grant Wood to use their home as a backdrop for ''American Gothic''.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「American Gothic House」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|