The Warner Sallman Collection 

Warner Sallman was born on April 30, 1892, in Chicago. He became interested in art at an early age and was especially impacted by the religious art of Gustave Dore. Following graduation from high school, he apprenticed in local studios while attending the Chicago Art Institute. After a brief attempt to establish himself in New York, Sallman returned to Chicago and began his career as a commercial artist.

Through the encouragement of a business associate, Sallman enrolled at a Bible school.

After enrolling at a Bible college, Sallman turned his understanding of his audience as a commercial artist, toward religious imagery. In 1924, Sallman produced a sketch for a magazine cover that portrayed a strong yet serene image of Jesus. This sketch was the basis of what would become Sallman’s most recognizable painting, the Head of Christ, which has been reproduced an estimated 500 million times.

Sallman’s consideration for his audience (1940’s American protestants), the instability of WWII, and the effective marketing from his publishers, Kriebel and Bates, all created the perfect climate for Sallman’s work to become popular devotional images.

Throughout his career, Sallman produced a wide range of religious imagery, including Christ at Heart’s Door, Christ Our Pilot, and Christ in Gethsemane. He once said of his work, “I give God the glory for whatever has been accomplished by my efforts to bring joy and happiness to people throughout the world.” Sallman died in 1968 leaving a legacy of imagery that has exerted an enormous influence on Christian imagination.

While his art spans the United States, the majority of his original work can be found only in the Scheierman Gallery located in the York Performance Hall at Anderson University, in Anderson, IN.