Just a few decades after the restoration of the Church, a 19-century Danish artist named Carl Heinrich Bloch accepted a commission to make 23 paintings of the life of Christ. Although the Lutheran artist would craft his work a half a world away from the headquarters of the fledgling Church, his paintings depicting faith-promoting moments from the Savior's mortal mission would eventually be recognized and beloved by Latter-day Saints worldwide.
In 1955, the Church began featuring Bloch's paintings on the life of Christ in the Improvement Era magazine. Other reproductions of his work would later find their way into the Ensign and on the walls of temples, meetinghouses and visitors' centers throughout the Church. While he was not a member of the faith, Mormons have come to identify Bloch as one of the defining artists of the Savior.
To celebrate the work of Carl Bloch and his artistic connection to the LDS community, the Brigham Young University Museum of Art is preparing to unveil an exhibit dedicated to the artist's Christ-themed work. "Carl Bloch: The Master's Hand" will be on view on the museum's main level beginning Nov. 12. The exhibit will feature over 250 paintings and 78 etchings, including five large altar paintings on loan from Lutheran churches in Denmark and Sweden.
Following almost a decade of negotiations between the museum and churches in Scandinavia, dozens of Bloch's works will be seen together for the first time during the BYU exhibit.
Dawn Pheysey, the exhibit's curator, said it has been made possible by the trust and friendship that exists between the museum and the local churches. Loaning the beloved altar paintings marks "a great sacrifice on the part of the people in Denmark and Sweden."
Sister Pheysey said generations of Church members have developed a familiarity and affinity for the work of Carl Bloch. "They are powerful, powerful paintings. [Bloch's] depictions of a masculine, compassionate Christ is very appealing to members of the Church."
A celebrated artist in his own time, Bloch considered his religious paintings to be his greatest contribution.
Because of the local familiarity with Bloch's Christ paintings, curators anticipate a high demand for the exhibition. To help control crowd size and enhance the exhibit experience, visitors will be asked to obtain a free reserved ticket in advance. Ticketing requests and information can be found at moa.byu.edu/.
