Through the encouragement of a business associate, Sallman enrolled at a Bible school. He also worked in commercial advertising, as well as in freelance illustration. As an extraordinarily successful work of Christian popular devotional art, [1] it had been reproduced over half a billion times worldwide by the end of the 20th century. His art can be found and enjoyed in schools, offices, churches and homes, yet some may be lost or misplaced. But when one looks at the paintings that they approved, one cannot help Eventually he achieved success as a professional illustrator. He initially was affiliated with local studios until he opened his own. His family has other ties to the Chicago area: Jenkins father, Harry, served as police chief in Elk Grove Village for more than a decade in the 1960s and 70s. "[6], The Head of Christ has appeared in scenes of several films, such as Children of the Corn (1984), Jungle Fever (1991) and Silver Linings Playbook (2012). Head of Christ by Warner Sallman Most Reproduced Artwork of All Time. By 1944, the market supported increasing the size of individual prints to 40 x 30 inches for large images to be used in public spaces such as churches and YMCAs. He became interested in art at an early age and was especially impacted by the religious art of Gustave Dore. year later he was told that he had just three months to live. That criticism has been renewed recently amid the current national reckoning over racism sparked by the May 25 death of George Floyd, a black man killed in an encounter with police in Minneapolis. Some of the earliest images of Jesus showed him with very dark skin and possibly African, he said. The image was so popular that the 1940 graduating class of North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago commissioned Sallman to create a painting based on his drawing as their class gift to the school, according to the Evangelical Covenant Churchs official magazine. Jan. 31: Gertrude Abercrombie is a one-of-a-kind Chicago artist. This sketch was the basis of what would become Sallmans most recognizable painting, the Head of Christ, which has been reproduced an estimated 500 million times. Almost everyone has seen a reproduction of his Head of Christ. Its unbelievable actually, Beaty said in a phone interview Thursday. later he converted that sketch to a painting--the best-known "[6], Many Lutheran and Roman Catholic Christians have praised the painting for the hidden host on the forehead of The Head of Christ, and a chalice on his temple, both pointing to the Holy Eucharist. As an extraordinarily successful work of Christian popular devotional art,[1] it had been reproduced over half a billion times worldwide by the end of the 20th century. Enlarged copies of the work have been made for churches, and small pocket or wallet-sized prayer cards bearing the image have been mass-produced for private devotional use. [12], In addition, several religious magazines have explained the "power of Sallman's picture" by documenting occurrences such as headhunters letting go of a businessman and fleeing after seeing a copy of the image on his person, a "thief who aborted his misdeed when he saw the Head of Christ on a living room wall", and deathbed conversions of non-believers to Christianity. Email Us Map & Directions. Finding ourselvesseeing ourselvesin the complexion and eyes of Jesus is not, alone, an error. Minorities reject Maybe they have the Head of Christ on their walls but dont know the story behind it. For other uses, see, Last edited on 19 February 2023, at 21:36, Warner Sallman Art Collection, Warner Press, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Head_of_Christ&oldid=1140384212, This page was last edited on 19 February 2023, at 21:36. You simply cant ignore very Nordic Jesus, he said. Reproductions subsequently carried their imprimatur and the copyright date of 1941. Tours for the Warner Sallman Collection this summer is by appointment only. The vast collection of his original works, including Head of Christ, is owned by Anderson University. Sallman is also well known for his rendition of the popular image Christ at Heart's Door. [7] Similarly, the Head of Christ became popular among evangelical Christians as well, as they believed the portrait to emphasize the "salvific power of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus". He worked to find a buyer over the next two years, going through art brokers and contacting museums about possible sales, but nothing came through until one of Jenkins relatives saw the Chicago Tonight piece on Facebook after it aired in February and contacted him about the pieces. Sallman images copyrighted by Warner Press, Inc. Used with permission. Its one of the most recognized pieces of art in the world. speed: 800, It can represent important ideas; portraits represent people. Sales catalogs and promotional literature advertised Sallmans principal paintings each year. early twentieth century. Anderson said that it has been common for people to depict Jesus as a member of their culture or their ethnic group. And there are numerous popular depictions of Jesus as black. It is Warner Sallman's light-eyed, light-haired "Head of Christ" from 1940. Warner Sallman was the best-known Christian artist of the Perhaps, the Holy Spirit, the editor and ultimate author of the Word, meant it to be so, so that we ever after would not be detoured by the Lords appearance as we learn to love and trust Him. Sallman is also well known for his rendition of the popular image Christ at Hearts Door. See reviews, photos, directions, phone numbers and more for Christ Lutheran Church Elca locations in Ashburn, VA. . Free shipping. He once said of his work, I give God the glory for whatever has been accomplished by my efforts to bring joy and happiness to people throughout the world. Sallman died in 1968 leaving a legacy of imagery that has exerted an enormous influence on Christian imagination. Shes also more concerned about how Jesus is represented in the lives of Christians rather than in a piece of art. Have a question? Make Him strong and masculine, not weak, so people will It just sort of seemed like destiny that we felt such a connection to the story and to the painting, Jenkins said. //-->