Ishmael and Household Join Lehi’s Company by Minerva Teichert

Minerva Teichert has a unique style that is hers alone. She doesn’t need to write her signature on her work because her work is her signature. This painting is one of 40 that she painted of stories from the Book of Mormon and is of Ishmael’s household joining Lehi and his family in the wilderness. We don’t have any information of what happened when Ishmael and his family joined Lehi’s nor do we know of anything prior to when Ishmael’s daughters married Lehi’s sons but I love Teichert’s interpretation. Who would have thought such a thing! But I like to think that there was romance involved and that it developed naturally in their courtships too. In this painting I am drawn to the colours and ballooning swirls of the women’s costumes. I am especially fascinated by that special glance. The man behind her, the one with his hands on his hips, doesn’t look too happy about it though, although the recipient sure looks pleased as Punch (don’t know if I like his smirk though). Could Teichert be showing us sibling rivalry between brothers? For sure I think it’s interesting that Teichert uses music in her interpretation. Anyway, in my self-portrait I wanted to take a pic of myself wearing a red dress with a full skirt with the camera looking down on me as I twirl. But I don’t have a red dress with a full skirt so I had to come up with something simpler. But then I also didn’t want to get in front of the camera so you’ll have to make do with an old pic that I’ve already posted—one of me looking over the shoulder wearing something red (not to mention fake eyelashes and shiny red lipstick).

More red here.