But after the 1950s, critics began to complain that the painting had so influenced culture that many people believe it reflects the true image of Christ, and that contributed to the idea of Jesus as a white man. Admission is free and open to the public. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"bO8pEDSXoMI1gWYqJRiXt85lG_9HPoNeXoLm7P14w_8-1800-0"}; After logging in you can close it and return to this page. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. not effeminate. I walked in and couldnt believe something like this would be in the Salvation Army, he previously told Shefsky, recalling how, as a child, he would space out in school and stare at a Head of Christ reproduction hanging in his classroom. [1][3] The painting is said to have "become the basis for [the] visualization of Jesus" for "hundreds of millions" of people.[4][5]. In 1940, he was asked to reproduce that painting by the students of North Park Theological Seminary. However, when she turned 12, she started resenting Christianity. His most famous and signature works feature Jesus, interpreted as a man he imagined in his own world, dressed in first century garb. "Sallman, who died in 1968, was a religious painter and illustrator whose most popular picture, 'Head of Christ,' achieved a mass popularity that makes Warhol's soup can seem positively. [13], The chancel of El Buen Samaritano United Methodist Church features a large copy of Sallman's Head of Christ rather than a traditional altar cross. Beyond Chicago from the Air with Geoffrey Baer, The Great Chicago Fire: A Chicago Stories Special, Pilsen Warrior Mural Soars Above 18th Street, A Giant Effort to Create Miniature Rooms Linked to Thorne Rooms, Even in Winter, Irving Park Mural Mi Jardin Blooms Bright, Local Business Highlights Chicago Art Scene Through Custom Framing, Local Woman Reconnects With Departed Father Through Rediscovered Photos, Artist Combs Chicago Beaches for Materials and Inspiration, Venus and Jupiter Will Be Side by Side in Wednesdays Night Sky. This one seems easy to give up. Every other search I did offered only much smaller prints of the original rectangular image. We repudiate any use of Sallmans work to promote white supremacy or any other ideology at odds with the Gospel. Jenkins said hes had a strong connection with Sallmans artwork since he was a young child. He made many other paintings about Christ, including the Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia to more about the artist, Warner Sallman, and his art. The Head of Christ, also called the Sallman Head, is a 1940 portrait painting of Jesus of Nazareth by American artist Warner Sallman (1892-1968). The Head of Christ originated as a charcoal sketch entitled The Son of Man done in 1924 and sold to be the cover of the Covenant Companion, the denominational magazine for the Evangelical Covenant Church. In a document written in 1945, the publishers indicate that by the previous year a total of 14 million single pictures had been printed. Tours for the Warner Sallman Collection this summer is by appointment only. All rights reserved. 800.428.6414 Have a question? He //-->