Warner Sallman

The Faces

of Christ

Warner Sallman was a very prolific Christian artist, and painted over 500 artworks. This consisited of his very famous religious art, but also included landscapes, portraits and commercial art.

Faces of Christ

Extended through January 2019 by popular demand

  Warner Elias Sallman was the eldest of three children born to Elias Sallman and Christiane (Larson) Sallman who were immigrants from Finland and Sweden. He trained by apprenticing in local studios while attending the Chicago Art Institute at night. There he became a protégé of Walter Marshall Cluett, a newspaper illustrator noted for his work during the Spanish–American War. He initially was affiliated with local studios until he opened his own. In 1916, he married Ruth Anderson, whom he met while both were singing in the church choir.  Sallman is best known for his Head of Christ, which was designed in 1940, and has sold over 500 million copies that are used in churches of several Christian denominations, as well as for private devotional use.

Sallman is also well known for his rendition of the popular image Christ at Heart's Door. Other popular images produced from 1942 to 1950 include Christ in Gethsemane, The Lord is My Shepherd, and Christ Our Pilot.