The Artwork

Some of the most common images of Christ associated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are those by two Danish artists who likely never had contact with Church members: Carl Heinrich Bloch and Albert Bertel Thorvaldsen.

Bloch's paintings and etchings of Christ have long been favorites of Church members, as evidenced by their frequent use in Church magazines, manuals, buildings, and visitors' centers. Thorvaldsen's Christus is also commonly associated with the Church due in large part to numerous copies that stand in temple visitors' centers. As a result, two new programs are now on KBYU-TV: In His Image: The Religious Paintings of Carl Bloch and Bertel Thorvaldsen's Christus.

A Producer's View

According to BYU Broadcasting producer Kendall Wilcox, focusing on these artists was an easy choice. "They are so familiar, but no one really knows the full history," he says. He describes his overall experience filming the two documentaries as unique. "They made me reassess what I value in art and what I expect out of art to enhance my spiritual experiences," he says.

Wilcox says that he and his crew spent nearly three weeks in Denmark and Sweden tracking down the original Bloch and Thorvaldsen works. Thorvaldsen's Christus is easy to find, but Bloch's paintings and etchings are scattered throughout numerous parish churches and museums in Denmark and southern Sweden. However, because of the Church's frequent communication with those who maintain Thorvaldsen's and Bloch's work, Wilcox says he did not encounter the least trouble filming in all the locations.

Visit historical Churches where Carl Bloch paintings still hang on the walls »

Learn more about Carl Bloch and Albert Thorvaldsen and see their art »