Did You Know This Famous Painting Is from Minnesota?

It's a painting you've probably seen many times, maybe in your parents or grandparents' homes. Its name is 'Grace,' and while it's not specifically about Thanksgiving, it sure applies this week. But did you know its from right here in Minnesota?

Growing up in Wisconsin, this same picture, ‘Grace,’ by Eric Enstrom, was proudly hanging in my grandparents kitchen, as it was in many households throughout the upper Midwest. According to this KARE-11 story, it not only was taken here in Minnesota, but has become so iconic, it was “officially designated as Minnesota’s state photograph in 2002.”

The story says, Minnesota photographer, “Eric Enstrom took the picture, entitled ‘Grace’ back in 1918, when a traveling salesman, Charles Wildeen, stopped by his photography studio.” The story goes on to say, “Something about Wildeen’s face resonated with Enstrom and he asked the salesman to come in and pose for a picture at a table laid out with a simple meal his wife had prepared.”

It, of course, went on to be a wildly popular photograph that’s found its way to countless kitchens and dining rooms of grandparents everywhere. And, if you happen to be getting together with family this Thanksgiving at a home where that photo might still proudly hang on the wall, you now know this iconic picture has a uniquely Minnesota background. Happy Thanksgiving!