Minerva Teichert (1888-1976),
Washday on the Plains, 1938, oil on canvas, 42 x 94 1/2 inches. Brigham Young University Museum of Art, gift of the Teichert Family Collection.
This week we celebrate Pioneer Day on July 24, which is Utah's state holiday. Minerva Teichert produced scenes of her Mormon Pioneer heritage in the living room of her Cokeville, Wyoming ranch home and participated in civic celebrations of Pioneer Day.
Washday on the Plains conveys the resolute commitment of the pioneers’ posterity to remember the heroism and dedication of their forebearers in trekking to the Mountain West. Minerva made sure that the vital role of women in this epic was not forgotten. These industrious pioneers embody both strength and beauty in their crisp patchwork fashions.