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Artwork of the Week

Artwork of the Week: October 11, 2020

Minerva Teichert “Fall Roundup

Minerva Teichert (1888-1976), Fall Roundup, 1956, oil on canvas, 49 x 57 inches. Brigham Young University Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by Amy T. Barker.

A large herd of cattle moves toward the viewer, filling a sun-filled canyon on their way toward a welcome watering hole. Minerva Teichert’s picturesque depiction of a common Western task—the fall roundup of the herd—takes on a romantic significance by symbolizing the rhythm of the seasons. This massive herd seems unending, perhaps reminding the viewer of how life’s tasks are never truly finished, but rather managed in their season. Still, the cattle in the foreground, now drinking deeply from the cool clean water, suggest a season of rest at the end of a long journey.