Carl Christian Anton Christensen

[
Joseph Smith, Jr. receiving the golden plates from Moroni.]

Carl Christian Anton Christensen (November 28 1831 – July 3 1912) was a Danish-American artist who is known for his paintings illustrating the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.cite web | last = Nielson | first = Virginia K. | title = Carl Christian Anton Christensen | url = http://content.lib.utah.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/snow-sandpitch&CISOPTR=3859&CISOSHOW=3746&REC=6 | accessdate = 2006-11-10] Of him it has been said that he "did more than any other person to capture the images of the history of Mormon migration to Utah and the life lived there". [quote from Rick Burns found in article "Winter Quarters Center Features Pioneer Artist" in "LDS Church News" June 1, 2002]

Early life

C.C.A. Christensen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark and studied at the Royal Academy of Art in Copenhagen. On January 26th, 1850 he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was baptized by George P. Dykes. Christensen subsequently served as a missionary in his native Denmark.

He also served as a missionary in Norway. While in Norway Christensen was the first LDS Missionary to go to Christiania (now Oslo). [http://www.sorensenfamilyhistory.org/journey_west/cca_christensen.htm Carl Christian Anton Christensen ] ] While in Christiana Christensen taught the gospel to Danquart Anthon Weggeland, who was another prominent early Utah artist. [ [http://www.lib.utah.edu/fa/UtahArtists/artists/weggeland/bio01_weggeland_2006-09-09.html Utah Artists Project - Danquart Anthon Weggeland ] ]

At the end of his service in Norway Christensen set off for Utah, going first to England. The year was 1857. He had met Elsie Scheel Haarby while serving in Norway, and planned to marry her. C. C. A. and Elsie were married in England, while on their way to Utah. They had planned to wait until reaching Utah to get married but leaders felt the trip would be easier if engaged couples got married before starting the journey. [http://www.ldsep.org/denmark/sjael/cop/50ndorius.htm] and they sailed for America on the "Westmoreland". [ "Winter Quarters Center Features Pioneer Artist" in "LDS Church News" June 1, 2002] After reaching New York, they travelled by rail road to Iowa City, Iowa, the end of the line, and from there set out for Utah, traveling with the Christian Christiansen handcart company. [ [http://www.lds.org/churchhistory/library/pioneerdetails/0,15791,4018-1-20718,00.html Pioneer Details ] ]

Painting

In 1862 Christensen did stage painting for a theatre in Springville, Utah. [ [http://launch.springvilleartmuseum.org/files/pages/l0lb8m3s.pdf Microsoft Word - SPRINGVI2.doc ] ]

The first major art work that Christensen undertook while in Utah was a commission from Dimick B. Huntington to do a collection of paintings from the Bible and Book of Mormon. This was done in collaboration with Dan Weggeland.Huhter, J. Michael. "Storytellers: Scandinavians Art told of Restoration" in "LDS Church News" January 22nd, 2000]

Christensen is best known for his "Mormon Panorama," a series of 23 large paintings that depict the history of the church. Christensen also painted scenes from the Book of Mormon such as "Nephi and Zoram Return with the Record". [ [http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=4353744047e7c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 LDS.org - Ensign Article - Commitment and Dedication ] ] There was a shole series of Book of Mormon paintings. They were originally issued by the Sunday School for use in classrooms and were latter issued in lithography form. [ [http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=a2abd7630a27b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 LDS.org - Ensign Article - News of the Church ] ]

Christensen began touring with the Mormon panorama in 1878. The panorama was convert|175|ft|m long. Christensen would transport it about Utah, Idaho and Wyoming, giving presentations along with the panorama. He did this during the winter when he was not busy working on his farm. [Lloyd, R. Scott. "Vivid Panorama: C. C. A. Christensen recreation perpetuates artists' legacy" in "LDS Church News" June 11th, 2005.] After Christensen's death the panorama was stored away. Many years latter it was discovered again and brought back to light, partly by the efforts of Boyd K. Packer. It would gain its fullest recognition almost a century latter when it would be showed at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. [Anderson, Paul L. and Richard Jensen. "C.C.A. Christensen and the Mormon Panorama" in "Ensign" June 1979, p. 80]

Christensen also painted some of the murals in the Manti and St. George Temples. [ [http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=e6e01f26d596b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 LDS.org - Ensign Article - “Virtuous, Lovely, or of Good Report”: How the Church Has Fostered the Arts ] ] [ [http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=e7eb1f26d596b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 LDS.org - Ensign Article - News of the Church ] ] Christensen also did paintings for the Manti Tabernacle.

Another theme of some of Christensen's paintings was Manti and its surroundings. [ [http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=a8e1759235d0c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 LDS.org - Ensign Article - Gospel Taught, Gospel Shared ] ] [ [http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=7c8584d4a0a0c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 LDS.org - Ensign Article - From Denmark to Zion ] ]

Christensen often collaborated with Dan Weggeland in his work in Utah.

Other Utah Activities

During his first days in Utah, Christensen found little time to paint. He did various odd jobs such as laying brick and burning charcoal as well as farming.

Christensen translated the lyrics of many LDS hymns into Danish. Some of his translated texts are still in use. Christensen also wrote poetry and contributed to "Bikuben". Latter he would serve as an editor of that publication. He was also a coauthor of the History of the Scandinavian Mission. ["Winter Quarters Center Features Pioneer Artist" in "LDS Church News" June 1, 2002]

Christensen was an instructor in drawing and Danish at the Sanpete Stake Academy (now Snow College).

Christensen served a second mission from 1865-1868. He went on a mission to Denmark from 1887-1889 during which he worked as the editor of the "Scandinaviens Stjerne".

Rediscovery

In 1976, in a speech given at Brigham Young University, LDS apostle Boyd K. Packer recounted the rediscovery of Christensen's work: cquote|Some years ago I was chairman of a committee of seminary men responsible to produce a filmstrip on Church history. One of the group, Trevor Christensen, remembered that down in Sanpete County was a large canvas roll of paintings. They had been painted by one of his progenitors, C. C. A. Christensen, who traveled through the settlements giving a lecture on Church history as each painting was unrolled and displayed by lamplight. The roll of paintings had been stored away for generations. We sent a truck for them, and I shall not forget the day we unrolled it.

Brother Christensen was not masterful in his painting, but our heritage was there. Some said it was not great art, but what it lacked in technique was more than compensated in feeling. His work has been shown more widely and published more broadly and received more attention than that of a thousand and one others who missed that point. [ [http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=6143 "The Arts and the Spirit of the Lord"] by Boyd K. Packer, accessed September 26, 2008; originally given as a speech at Brigham Young University in 1976]

In fact, Christensen's 1900 painting "Handcart Pioneers" (not part of "Mormon Panorama") "has become the most widely published painting of the Mormon pioneer experience by an actual pioneer." [ [http://www.media.utah.edu/UHE/c/CHRISTENSEN,CARL.html Utah History Encyclopedia] , accessed September 26, 2008]

References

External links

* [http://www.tfaoi.com/aa/3aa/3aa452.htm C.C.A. Christensen's Panorama Paintings]
* [http://www.meridianmagazine.com/arts/030306cca.html Article in Meridian Magazine]