1. BYU-Idaho Center Gallery
Carl Bloch Exhibit
BYU-Idaho Center Gallery
Welcome to the Carl Bloch BYU-Idaho exhibit and audiovisual tour. This presentation combines the paintings of renowned 19th century artist Carl Bloch with scripture from the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, to commemorate the life and ministry of our Savior Jesus Christ.

2. Carl Bloch
A talented painter, Carl Heinrich Bloch devoted much of his artistic career depicting the life of the Savior. He is widely recognized as the greatest artist to do so, and many other artists’ portrayals are based on his interpretations.

3. Mary and Elizabeth
As Mary arrived to live with her cousin, Elizabeth, it is recorded that “when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost…” In their full time, Mary and Elizabeth gave birth to two of the greatest men in history: Jesus Christ, the redeemer of all mankind, and John the Baptist, the prophet who would precede Him. 1

4. Teaching in the Temple
Even at a young age the Savior showed remarkable wisdom. Unbeknown to Joseph and Mary, the boy Jesus had tarried in Jerusalem, and “…it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.” (Luke 2:46-47) 2

5. Denying Satan
“Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matthew 4:10) Though he had fasted forty days in the wilderness, Christ repeatedly repelled the temptations of the Adversary. Ultimately the Savior casts Satan out of his presence. 3

6. Sermon on the Mount
One of Christ’s powerful teaching includes that of his sermon on the mount. He teaches those in attendance the proper way to pray including that of the Lord’s prayer, but he also cautions those who would not commit themselves wholly to the Lord. “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24). “But seek ye firs the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33). 4

7. Christ and the Young Child
“Suffer the Little children to come unto me, and forbid them not” (Mark 10:14-15). Christ teaches that in order to enter into the kingdom of God, one must become like a little child or he will not enter. Children have all the qualities necessary to return to the presence of God. We should strive to have these qualities as well. 5

8. Healing the Blind Man
Christ healed all manner of afflictions, including restoring sight to the blind. Blind men came to him and asked to be healed. Christ told them according to their faith, it would happen. Because their faith was strong enough, they received their sight (Matt. 9:28-30). 6

9. Healing at the Pool of Bethseda
At the pool of Bethseda, the sick and infirm would gather. If they were the first to enter into the waters, they would be healed. Christ commanded one man to take up his bed and walk. According to His work, so it was done. (John 5:2-10) 7

10. Raising of Lazarus
Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, died and lay in the tomb for four days. Christ commanded Lazarus to come forth and live. Lazarus lived at His word. Christ has power over the gates of death (John 11:14, 23, 41-44). 8

11. Transfiguration of Christ
“And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James and John is brother and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and [Elijah] talking with him” (Matt 17:1-3). Peter, James, and John were witnesses of this great heavenly communion where they received the sealing power from two of the Lord’s greatest servants- Moses and Elijah. This sealing power was later given by Jesus Christ to all of the apostles, and is also the same power we use in our temples today to seal families together for eternity. 9

12. The Consolator
“For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. As ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation” (2 Cor. 1:5,7). A consolator is one who consoles or comforts. The apostle Paul taught the people of Corinth that Christ’s atonement not only cleanses us from our sins, but is a source of comfort because Christ “hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows” (Isa. 53:4). As we use the atonement to repent of our sins, we will also receive the blessing of comfort at the Master’s hand. 10

13. Cleansing the Temple
“And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them…My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves” (Matt 21:12-13). Christ taught by example the sacred nature of temples and the reverence and respect we should maintain there. The temple is a house of prayer because it is a refuge from the world, a place where we can pray and draw nearer to our Father who is in Heaven. 11

14. The Woman at the Well
A woman, desperate with her life, went one day to the well to get water. She went at mid-day, the hottest moment, when none when none else would be present. She was surprised to find Jesus, and more surprised still when He asked water of her. “How is it that thou, being a Jew, asketh drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria?” To which Jesus responded, “If thou knewest the gift of God, and who is it that saith to tee, Give me to drink; thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water” (John 4:9-10). Thus begins this woman’s journey into Christianity. 12

15. Christ and the Children
There is nothing more pure and innocent than a little child. When the apostles became concerned about who would be greatest in the Kingdom of God, Jesus taught, “Verily I say unto you,, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3). 13

16. The Last Supper
Jesus washes the feet of the Twelve apostles and teaches them “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15). He further teaches that all are equal, the servant being no greater than the master. At this time Jesus also reveals the apostle that will betray him, Judas. “…He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon” (John 13:26). One last teaching Christ gave to his disciples what to love one another. “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have love you, that ye also love one another. By this shall men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34-35). 14

17. Peter’s Denial
At the last Supper, Christ told Peter that “the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.” As later the angry multitude took Jesus away to the high priest’s house, Peter followed. “But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, “This man was also with him. And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.” Twice more, and then “while he yet spake, the cock crew. And Peter remembered…went out, and wept bitterly” (Luke 22). 15

18. The Crucifixion
“THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS” (Luke 23:38). Below this mark on the cross, Mary the mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene bereaved Jesus, and he comforted them, saying “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me,” (Luke 23:28) and gave his mother over to the care of his disciple: “Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took here unto his own home” (John 19:27). His last act as a mortal man was to give his will and his spirit over to God and to die for all mankind. “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost” (Luke 23:46). 16

19. Entombment of Christ
In a beautiful garden was an unused stone sepulcher. Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Christ, begged Pilate for the body of Jesus and took it down. Nicodemus also came “and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight” (John 19:39). “And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulcher, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments” (Luke 23:55-56). Finally, in the manner of the Jews to bury, they took the body of Jesus and “wound it in linen clothes with the spices,” finishing before the Sabbath day (John 19:40). 17

20. Doubting Thomas
When Jesus Christ arose from his tomb he made appearances to Mary Magdalene in the garden, and also to his disciples to show his resurrected body. “But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:24-25). After eight days, Christ met with his gathered disciples including Thomas, “Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God” (John 20:27-28). 18

21. Christ at Emmaus
After the resurrection of Christ, he appeared to his disciples, veiling his true identity at first and then at an appropriate moment showed himself to them. “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of broiled fish, and of an honeycomb” (Luke 24:39-43) It was with this manifestation that Christ’s disciples finally understood that significance of His death and resurrection; “…that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24: 47).
Carl Bloch has done just that, he has “preached in his name among all nations,” through the use of his artistic portrayals of Christ's life and ministry. Jesus Christ’s life is vividly captured and presented by Carl Bloch so that all might find an understanding and deeper meaning in the works and teachings of Christ in their own lives. 19