Warner Sallman - View His Art

Warner E. Sallman was an illustrator for religious magazines. In 1924 he needed a picture for a deadline the next day, but was coming up blank. Finally, he went to bed -- then suddenly awoke with "a picture of the Christ in my mind's eye just as if it were on my drawing board."

He quickly sketched a portrait of Jesus with long brown hair, blue eyes, a neatly trimmed beard, and a beatific look -- which has now become the common image of Christ around the world. Since 1940, more than 500 million copies of Sallman's "Head of Christ" have been sold. It has been reproduced billions of times on calendars, lamp, posters and holy cards.

He loved evangelism and often joined the stage to sketch the "Head of Christ" while the minister preached. He would then give this to someone in the audience. There is no record of how many of these impromptu artworks were done. Another collectable treasure of his art are the bible editions produced with his inspired images.