Artwork copyright Rosemary Pittman. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

American Gothic II, 1990

Rosemary Pittman
(American, born 1916, died 2005)

Location: Brouillet Elementary School, Puyallup

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

American Gothic II is a painting by artist Rosemary Pittman. It is inspired by Grant Wood's iconic American painting, "American Gothic," and depicts memories from Pittman's youth in Iowa. She noted, "I was trying to capture the spirit of my childhood, no freeways, no automobiles, clay roads traversed with the horse and buggy. The past is with us now only in paintings and black and white photographs."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Puyallup School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Artist Rosemary Pittman (1916-2005) pursued a second career in art after retiring from a career in nursing in 1984. She attended Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle and painted in a naive, folk-art style. Her artworks have strong narratives that reflect her memories and experiences, including her early life on a farm and scenes from her service during World War II (1939-45).

Pittman grew up in a Midwestern farm community and graduated from the University of Iowa School of Nursing. During the 1940s, she served in the Army Nurse Corps in Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines. She later earned master's degrees in public health and nursing education. She was Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington School of Nursing in Seattle after teaching from 1964 to 1984 and was also a founder of their Nurse Practitioner program.