Joseph Harry Anderson (1906–1996) began his first commission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1963, toward the end of his long artistic career.  His work for the LDS church includes nearly 30 paintings that have become iconic Latter-day Saint images. This exhibit features 25 preliminary sketches (paint studies) created by Anderson as preparatory work for his finished paintings.  These studies shed new light and perspective on Anderson’s work and on the familiar and beloved scenes he painted from Christ’s life.

The Paint Studies of Harry Anderson gallery exhibit will be open at the Church History Museum through April 2017 and is accompanied by this permanent online exhibit featuring images and details of all of the same artwork on display at the museum. 

While major changes were rarely requested, the finished oil paintings show that Anderson made some minor alterations after the studies were reviewed. For example, in the margin of the study for Behold My Hands and Feet, he jotted a note reminding himself to remove a person from the background.

In creating the paint studies, Anderson used a much looser brush style and brighter colors than on the finished oil paintings.

Click the detail images above to see the full painting. 

Harry Anderson’s legacy as an artist of religious subjects began after he and his wife, Ruth, joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1943. As a devout Adventist, Anderson painted hundreds of illustrations for his church. He considered this work to be part of his personal ministry.

In 1963, Anderson’s reputation as an artist of religious subjects drew the attention of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church was constructing a pavilion for the 1964 New York World’s Fair and needed a large oil painting of the Savior for the main entrance. Anderson, already known for his images of the Savior, was commissioned to paint Christ Ordaining the Twelve Apostles. Thereafter, Anderson found a steady religious art patron in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  

Anderson’s paintings have been reproduced in numerous Latter-day Saint publications, and they decorate almost every Latter-day Saint meetinghouse, visitors’ center, and temple around the world. His depictions of Christ are especially beloved, with a widespread, powerful appeal.

When Harry, who was a devout Seventh-day Adventist, was asked about Mormons using his images as missionary tools, he said, “I think that when anybody is introduced to Christ, no matter what their faith is, it is a step in the right direction. When people who don’t know Him at all are introduced to Him and find out what He was like and what He did for them, it satisfies me that my painting was done for somebody’s advantage.”