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Artwork of the Week

Artwork of the Week: March 14, 2022

Winslow Homer (1836-1910), Harper's Weekly, Our Women and the War, 1862, wood engraving, 13 1/2 x 20 1/4 inches. Brigham Young University Museum of Art, purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate, 1959.

March is Women’s History Month! The 2022 theme is “Women Providing Healing, Providing Hope.” This print celebrates “The Influence of Woman” and the many ways women offered support during the American Civil War. It was originally published in the extremely popular and widely read Harper’s Weekly, A Journal of Civilization (1857-1916). The print and its accompanying text paid tribute to women, “whose names no one knows, but whose reward, in the soldier’s gratitude and Heaven’s approval, is the highest guerdon woman can ever win.” While the scope of women’s contributions to society has expanded well beyond the tasks depicted in the image, this print serves as a reminder of the countless unheralded acts of women across the generations who have worked with great determination to support, strengthen, and encourage individuals and communities. In what ways do you see women using their talents and abilities to strengthen and support individuals and communities today? How can you better support and encourage the efforts of these women?