Warner Sallman's Head of Christ: The Most Popular Picture Of Jesus Of All Time

Warner Sallman's Head of Christ: The Most Popular Picture Of Jesus Of All Time

Excerpts from GodWeb:

With the possible exception of Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Supper, no picture of Jesus is etched so deeply into our imaginations than the Head of Christ, painted in 1940 by Warner Sallman. Perhaps this is because Sallman's image of Christ has been reproduced in so many different media; it has been used to illustrate the pages of the Bible, Sunday school literature, calendars, posters, church bulletins, lamps, buttons and even bumper stickers. The Head of Christ has been reproduced over 500 million times, making it one of the most popular art works of all time.

For many of us this image is part of our childhood, having been hung on the walls of Sunday School classrooms and the halls and offices of the churches where we received our nurture in the faith. Countless Christians have recognized in Sallman's picture the personal savior whose intimacy and tenderness is at the heart of their faith. ... As one woman put it, the picture appeals to her simply because it shows, "just what Jesus looked like." ...

Art critics generally see it as pure kitsch. Among the most vociferous critics are clergy and professors who see in it the naive, sentimental and culturally backward faith in which they were raised and which an education helped them leave behind.

From Christianity Today:

A pious man by all accounts, Sallman worked as a freelance illustrator, producing religious imagery for a variety of publications including the Evangelical Covenant Church's denominational magazine Covenant Companion in the 1920s and the Salvation Army's War Cry in the 1930s. The charcoal sketch called "The Son of Man," which appeared on the cover of the Covenant Companion in 1924, attracted enough admirers over the years that Sallman painted an oil version in 1940. The image was titled "The Head of Christ." For many people, this image of Jesus, composed like a photographic portrait, looked like the serene "best friend" they wanted in their Savior. ...

After the war, groups in Oklahoma and Indiana conducted broad campaigns to distribute the picture across private and public spheres. A Lutheran organizer of the effort in Indiana said that there ought to be "card-carrying Christians" to counter the effect of "card-carrying Communists." Copies of Sallman's "Head of Christ" were placed in public libraries, schools, police departments, community centers, and even in courtrooms. One photograph from 1962 shows Vice President Lyndon Johnson posing reverently beside a copy of the picture sent to him in Washington. Today, the portrait of Jesus is still found in both Protestant and Catholic churches, enjoys fond use among Mormons, Latinos, Native Americans, and African Americans, and hangs in Christian homes in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Eastern Europe.

Probably like you, I've seen this painting a million times and never once gave a thought to who drew it. (via  the evangelical outpost)

Comments

[Woody]

This year, a friend of mine purchased a house to remodel and flip from two brothers who had lived there since the 1920's. There were two pictures on th living room wall--Jesus and Roosevelt. I think that they held them in equal esteem.

[Nelson Greenfield]

I'm a devout Christian, and I still like the Elvgren painting better.

By the way, where is the Sallman original?

[Alvin Jennings]

I am wondering if all the different ones who have printed the Sallman painting of Jesus have been required to pay any fees for the privilege of using it in Bibles, books, booklets, posters, on websites, etc. Who is the owner? Am I correct in assuming it is in public domain and available for anyone to reproduce in such a manner? Thank you so much for your early response.

Alvin Jennings

[debbie chandler]

I HAVE A PAINTING OF THE HEAD OF CHRIST I THINK IT IS IN THE ORIGINAL FRAME THE FRAME IS HAND CARVED WOOD THE PICTURE IS VERY LARGE 20 INCHES LONG BY 15 OR 16 INCHES WIDE IT IS SIGNED BY WARNER SALLMAN DATED 1940 I LOVE IT I BOUGHT IT AT A GOODWILL STORE I PAYED 6 DOLLARS FOR IT IS IT WORTH ANYTHING THANKS ALOT

[Philip]

The Sallman Christ is very much cherished to many. Our family had a hanging print in our home and I also viewed it in many other locations as well. It evokes a peaceful and serene Saviour. But, the realist in me realizes that the historical Christ was part Hebrew and if that part manifested itself in his appearance, then he would appear very much like the sun-drenched Jews and Arabs in that part of the globe. Also, the description given in Isaiah portrays an unglamorous and possibly unappealing person in appearance! We might want our Lord to be handsome and Hollywood, but he most likely wasn't... and didn't need to be! He accomplished his task in spite of it.

[David]

I just stumbled on this post doing somewhat-related research. The original Sallman painting is owned by Church of God Ministries, the central operating organization of the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana). The painting is stored in its offices in Anderson.

[Shirley]

Sallman's paintings are in a beautiful exhibit setting in one of the new buildings at Anderson University. I did my undergraduate work at AU in the 50's. He gave them to the Church of God of which the University and Seminary are its largest schools. We have been back to the college and visited the awesome exhibit. Shirley

[Tamara]

When I was a baby my mother had bought a little house and a picture was left in my bedroom from the previous owners. I have kept t with me ever since. It was a painting of the head of christ. I has Warner Sallman's signature and also the copyright info. Is it worth anything??

[justin berry]

i have 1 i selling

[Jodi Lowery]

A friend has asked me to find out if a black & white drawing (maybe chalk?) of The Head Of Christ signed by Warner Sallman & dated 1924 is worth anything. This was bought from a lady in her 80s that said her grandmother gave it to her. Is it possible that this could be the original drawing for the magazine he originally drew it for or is that already in a collection somewhere? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Jodi Lowery]

I meant charcoal when i said chalk in the previous comment. Thank you.

[d heffel]

how do you tell an original

[Tom Henderson]

My church's web page shows this same portait. Underneath the painting it asked, "Can you see the image of a wafer and a chalice hidden in the painting?" Has this been explored? Has asnyone heard about this before?