Show Ephraim artist honored in N. N NY Y The first museum showing of ofa ofa a panoramic series of historical paintings by pioneer Mormon artist Carl Christian Anton Christensen opened Monday July 13 at the of American Art as a tribute to an able but forgotten paint paint- er Several hundred members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Latter Saints from the Eastern States joined the New NewYork NewYork NewYork York art community In viewIng viewing viewing view- view Ing 22 paintings by the Danish Danish- born artist who lived from 1831 to 1912 The works detail Mormon Mormon Mormon Mor Mor- mon history from the Angel Moroni's appearance to Joseph Smith through the arrival of of Smiths Smith's followers in Great Salt Lake Valley under the leadership of Brigham Young The Mormon artist who served two missions mission for the Church spent much of his life me as a resident of County particularly Ephraim He also lived in Mt Pleasant and Fairview David W. W W Evans Salt Lake City advertising executive and anda a member of the Information Information Information mation Service Committee pointed out that Christensen who converted to MormonIsm MormonIsm Mormonism Mormon- Mormon Ism In Denmark was one of the handcart pioneers who made the mile 1300 trek to Utah from Council Bluffs Iowa in 1857 Thus the artist was an eyewitness to many of the scenes he painted some 30 years after the event Evans and his wife represented represented represented the Church in Salt Lake City at the reception He said the artists artist's year old grandson grandson grand grand- son Seymour E. E Christensen who gave the paintings to the Church for safekeeping by Brigham Young University In 1953 was to have attended but broke his led recently at his home In Ephraim Utah Mrs Rulon Cushing Gushing of Levittown N. N Y a great grand daughter of the artist attended Although Seymour Christensen Christensen Christen Christen- f sen sen was unable to attend the initial museum showing his hisson hisson hisson son Dr Kent Christensen of Washington D. D C. C along with his family were present Seymour's Seymours Seymours Seymour's Seymours Seymour's Sey Sey- mours mour's sister Mrs Norma Taggart of Salt Lake City and two of her family members Mrs Ethel Christensen and Mrs Gordon Holmes Berkeley California also traveled to New NewYork York for the occasion This Friday July 24 the Seymour Christensen will board a jet for Washington where they will accompany Kent and family to New York to see seethe seethe seethe the display and then on to Palmyra Palmyra Palmyra Pal Pal- myra to witness the Hill Cumorah Cumorah Cumorah Cum- Cum orah Pageant The seven foot paintings paintIngs paintings paint paint- ings painted by C C. C C. C A. A Christensen Christensen Chris Chris- were originally sewn together In a foot up roll-up scroll which Christensen used to Illustrate Itinerant lectures on Mormon history They have been separated and framed for exhibit on the main gallery floor of the Whitney running through September 7 Hung Bung In chronological order the paintings have the antique flavor of Victorian stage backdrops backdrops backdrops back back- drops depicting Currier and Ives scenes and indeed Christensen did paint stage sets during his career as a farmer painter and poet On closer examination the works show an artistic realization of the drama Inherent In In the scenes through stresses in color composition com com- position and movement Christensen was the product of classic art training in Copenhagen Copenhagen Copenhagen Co- Co Co Co- but there is a freshness freshness freshness fresh fresh- ness in his vision that has something of the primitive quality so common in AmerIcan American American Ameri AmerI- can paintings of the Cen Cen- tury At his best in a picture picture plc- plc pic pic- ture tune entitled Christensen gives us a winter landscape worthy of ot with Mormon wagon trains snaking sadly from the distant Illinois town The first painting in the series The First Vision has been lost or destroyed and the Church is seeking the whereabouts of a second series of Bible and Book of Mormon stories painted by Christensen for tor the education of the Indians Evans said 1000 will be paid for Information leading to the location of the second series A detailed article along with photos of the paintings appeared appear appear- ed In the May Issue of The Improvement Era and the May- May June edition of Art in America magazine |