[originaltext] I am not only a painter, but a student of art. Sometimes, I d

I am not only a painter, but a student of art. Sometimes, I don’t quite understand why a piece of art is so popular, or why it means what it does to people. Such was the case when I first thought about American Gothic, Grant Wood’s famous painting of two farmers.
    American Gothic was inspired by a trip that Wood made in 1930. He saw a house that was built in the 1870s or 1880s, and he was very attracted to its strong design He then made a quick sketch, went back to his studio, and began his painting immediately. In addition to his sketch made that year, he used an 1890 photograph to help him.
    The painting was strongly criticized by people who thought it made fun of simple farmers. I admit, I once thought the same thing. To me, great paintings are ones that try to understand people, not to laugh at them. And I didn’t like American Gothic. When I saw the painting in person, [22]I recognized the strength in the faces of the farmers. I started to see that the artist was expressing the strength of simple American farmers. This is why so many people see the painting as a symbol of the US.
20 What seems to be difficult for the speaker to understand?
21 Why did some people dislike American Gothic?
22 What did the speaker see when she saw the painting in person?