C.C.A. Christensen (1831-1912), “The Arrest of Mormon Leaders,” c. 1865, tempera on muslin, 78 x 114 1/8 inches. Brigham Young University of Art, gift of the Christensen grandchildren.
Christensen’s 22 monumental paintings of early Mormon history are part of BYU’s collection of art treasures. Acclaimed as major works of American folk art, his paintings have been shown in museums across the nation and this exhibit brings all of the artwork back together again at the Museum of Art after nearly ten years. Christensen, a Danish convert to Mormonism, painted these dramatic scenes of persecutions and pioneers in the 1870s and 1880s to create a vivid record of the Church’s beginnings to inspire the rising generation to have faith and carry on.
