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Sacred Gifts

Last week, my brother's family and I got to go see a special new exhibit at the BYU Museum of Art. The exhibit is titled "Sacred Gifts: The Religious Art of Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hoffman, and Franz Schwartz".  The works in the exhibit come from a series of paintings each artist did on the Life of Christ. They're paintings we're very familiar with as Latter-day Saints, as we use them in manuals, and copies in our buildings. But to be able to see the originals is a very special treat, as they are considered national treasures in heir home countries, and are not generally loaned out.

It had been a long time since I'd made a visit to BYU, and even longer since I'd been to the museum. But it was exciting to go. We went on a Saturday, and it was of course, packed. So it wasn't quite as reverent as I'd hoped. But it was so awesome to see these paintings in their original form, and mounted and lit as if they were in their actual home setting. It was all lovely and inspiring.

It's hard to say if I had a favorite, because they're all awesome. But here's some that I enjoyed the most:


(Portrait of Christ - Heinrich Hoffman)


(Christ in Gethsemane - Heinrich Hoffman)


(Agony in the Garden - Franz Schwartz)


(The Shepherds and the Angel - Carl Bloch)



(Healing at the Pool of Bethesda - Carl Bloch)



(The Mocking of Christ - Carl Bloch)

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