Artwork of the Week: November 11
As a ranch wife, Minerva Teichert assisted her husband with the family business of raising Hereford cattle. She was familiar with cattle drives, filled in as brand inspector, and every fall she saw her husband and other ranchers round up their cattle to move them from summer to winter grazing ranges. This firsthand experience, coupled with the rising popularity of Hollywood Westerns in the 1950s, made cattle a natural and favored subject for Teichert’s work—one she could render with both speed and precision on a grand scale.
In this painting, Teichert’s mastery of warm autumnal hues and the dynamic movement of dust evoke the energy and ruggedness of a real cattle roundup. The sweeping brushstrokes and earthy tones capture the essence of the Western landscape, while the creative use of cattle brands in the border serves as a thoughtful nod to the ranching life that was so integral to Teichert’s own experience.
