Purpose of Art

I was able to spend some time at the Institute of Art in Chicago a couple of weeks ago and stood in front of this iconic painting, American Gothic by Grant Wood.  They say that good art creates an emotional response and I have to say this one did.  I wasn't really focused on the man since he was scary and forbidding.  The woman held all of my attention.  First, the look in her eyes.  It looked to me as though she was afraid to speak but was thinking about a lot of things.  Her hair was pulled into a severe bun and her clothes we unadorned except for some rick-rack on her apron and a cameo at her neck.  The colors, brown, black and white reflected even more austerity.  Women's lives were hard in the 1900's — especially on the farms.  I wondered if she was a quilter......