“Picture Perfect Jesus” tells the amazing story behind the infamous “Head of Christ,” painted by artist Warner Sallman. The painting has drawn criticism and praise, and some people have even reported seeing tears flowing from the portrait, resulting in the healing of people. The painting has been called “down to earth,” and a woman, at the start of the feature, says of the painted Jesus, “You would love to meet this person — I would.”
Sallman drew a charcoal image of Christ in Chicago in 1933, which became the famous head painting. His biographer, Jack Lundbom, says Sallman worked for both the Salvation Army and the American Bible Society, doing master art for both organizations. He struggled as a commercial artist but his life soon changed, and he was reminded that all things are possible.
This documentary shares his story of the inspiration that moved Sallman to create the drawing, after a vision of sorts at 1 a.m. in the morning. Warner Sallman’s son, James, tells the story. Sallman’s “Son of Man” drawing eventually became known as the “Head of Christ,” and he painted the image that sold 100,000 copies in two months. At the end of 1941, one million copies were distributed, and by the end of 1942, three million more. As his biographer Lundbom said, “People wanted the picture!” It even filled the wallets of soldiers during World War ll.
The painting drew criticism for depicting a “white” Jesus, even though some could make the argument that the skin of the man is of an olive complexion. Some people even created a “black” Jesus painting in response. Despite the criticism, some people claimed the portrait caused miracles to happen. A cardboard copy of it hung in the home of an 11-year-old boy named Isaac, who was dying from cancer. He claimed the portrait began weeping, and 11 days later, when Isaac had undergone a new biopsy, he was declared cancer-free and cured.
The painting certainly has withstood the test of time and has offered inspiration to untold numbers of people. The story behind its creation is fascinating. We are pleased to award it our Faith Friendly 12+ Seal.
