Carl Bloch Exhibit at BYU

I will probably never see in person, Da Vinni's Mona Lisa or Monet's "water lilies" or even Michelangelo's ceiling at the Sistine Chapel in Rome, but I had an amazing opportunity to witness up close and personal Carl Bloch's altar paintings and sketches.  The Museum of Art at BYU has the priceless opportunity of presenting these paintings produced in the 1800's~  They are magnificent!  These all have been reproduced and seen on several of the LDS Church magazines, i.e. Ensign, New Era, etc over the years but the detail, from those small prints, believe me is missing.............when you actually see the brush strokes that produced these masterpieces, I was blown away.  You stand back and see this wall sized painting of the Savior with a little brown-eyed child standing by his side.  I thought to myself, they are real, that is an actual photograph......but then as you walk towards the painting and getting closer and closer, you see details in the eyes and hair and hands and skin that were made by paint!!!  What a God-given talent Carl Bloch had and developed.  He studied from age 15 to 25 with the Masters in Rome.  I remember reading that Rembrandt had a unique talent for portraits and faces.  Take the opportunity to see another master's work ---Carl Bloch born in Denmark paints faces as if they could almost speak to you.  I'll never forget what I was privileged to see.  I'm not an artist, my "Pictionary" attempts are always met with boisterous laughter....but you don't have to be an artist to appreciate the Touch of a Master's Hand.