Grant Wood's American Gothic

Grant Wood's American Gothic Mouse Pad American Gothic is a painting by Grant Wood in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Wood's inspiration came from what is now known as the American Gothic House, and his decision to paint the house along with "the kind of people I fancied should live in that house." The painting shows a farmer standing beside a woman that has been interpreted to be either his wife or his daughter. The figures were modeled by Wood's sister, Nan Wood Graham, and Wood and Graham's dentist. The woman is dressed in a colonial print apron evoking 19th-century Americana, and the man is holding a pitchfork. Solving puzzles helps reinforce existing connections between our brain cells. It also increases the generation of new relationships among family. This, in turn, improves mental speed and thought processes. Jigsaw puzzles are especially good for improving short-term memory.