The son of Nordic immigrants, Chicago-born painter Warner Sallman (1892-1968) has been cited by the New York Times as one of the most recognized artists of the 20th century.

Sallman’s most popular and iconic image, Head of Christ, has been reproduced over 1 billion times. This year marks the 75th anniversary of this iconic painting. A selection of Sallman’s works, both Christian and secular, will be on display at the Nordic Heritage Museum from April 11-21, 2015.

An opening reception and lecture by notable Sallman scholar Dr. Jack Lundbom will take place at 4:00 p.m on Saturday, April 11 at the Museum.

Warner Elias Sallman was the eldest of three children born to Elias Sallman and Christiane (Larson) Sallman, who were immigrants from Finland and Sweden. He trained as an artist by apprenticing in local studios while attending the Art Institute of Chicago at night.

There he became a protégé of Walter Marshall Cluett, a newspaper illustrator noted for his work during the Spanish American War. Sallman began his career as a commercial artist and freelance illustrator, but is best remembered for his depictions of Christ and most notably the painting Head of Christ. In 1994, the New York Times suggested Sallman was likely to be voted the “best known artist of the century.”