Minerva Teichert (1888-1976),The Miracle of the Gulls, c.1935, oil on canvas, 69 5/8 x 57 5/8 inches. Brigham Young University Museum of Art, gift of Flora Sundberg, 1936.
In celebration of Thanksgiving, we are sharing a favorite image of gratitude from our collection: Minerva Teichert’s beautiful The Miracle of the Gulls. This painting is a dramatic depiction of prayers answered, as seagulls appear and devour the crickets that had been plaguing Mormon pioneers’ efforts to cultivate the Utah desert. Teichert's heritage as a descendant of faithful pioneer women inspired her to depict a woman as a symbol of the pioneers' devotion.