Grant Wood’s Paul Revere

Today is the birthday of the great American painter Grant Wood (1891-1942). I relate mightily to this artist’s consuming subject matter (Americana) and the attitude he brings to it (an ambiguous mix of reverence and irony, sometimes one, sometimes the other, sometimes both at the same time). Mysteries are always more profound than answered questions.

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere (1931) takes its cue from Longfellow’sTales of a Wayside Inn. One curious aspect jumps right out at me — that sure doesn’t look like the Massachusetts I know!