Not Alone 1847

“During Teichert''s studies at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Students League of New York, she became captivated by the educational potential of large murals in public buildings and their capacity to be seen by great numbers of people. It was while in New York that noted American realist painter Robert Henri challenged her to paint the "great Mormon story." This admonition led Teichert to paint many theatrical depictions of Mormon pioneers, the American West and Book of Mormon scenes. In 1920 her friend and fellow church member William Hyde wrote her a letter recommending to her a scene that depicted the courage and strength of the Mormon Pioneer women. In his letter he stated “The picture will show in one glance the heroism, and the faith of the Mormon women – and so also with that, the Mormon faith and spirit… The time is when she is left alone and sets her face amid the howling of the wolves and the fear of savages, to overtake the train in advance… her face set…with the look that does not see the intervening things – hers is the eye of faith. Who is the shadowy form, mounted on this classical charger that stands so distinct in character apart from those oxen, and is caparisoned for war? This is the captain of the Lord’s host. You see his sword, the poise of the head, the attitude of confidence as he rides unseen by the side of this Mormon saint.” She painted Not Alone in answer to that challenge. It’s from a famous pioneer story where Mary Fielding Smith, widow of Hyrum Smith, brother of the Church founder Joseph Smith. Mary and her small son were traveling across the plains from Nauvoo, Illinois to the Great Salt Lake Valley. Mary and her son were managing her own wagon and team. Along the trek west her ox became sick, causing her delays. The most common version of the story is that Mary placed her hands on the ox and gave it a blessing, causing the ox to come back to health immediately. She and her son not only got back on the trail, but by evening she had passed the lead wagon.” Reference: minervateichertgallery.com Reproduced from the artist''s original artwork Oil on Masonite. Painted 1920.

1888-1976

The works of western American artist, Minerva Teichert, have received increasingly popular and critical acclaim in recent years. Today, Teichert is beloved among the LDS community as a woman who successfully combined faith and family and left an extraordinary legacy of artistic production.

Minerva Kohlhepp was born in North Ogden, but grew up homestead farming in the vicinity of American Falls, Idaho. Her father encouraged her childhood sketching and she soon developed an “indomitable will to succeed and excel in the field of art.” She taught school to raise enough money to go to Chicago for her art studies.

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