Master Painter: Warner E. Sallman is the biography of an almost unknown artist who painted one of the most famous portraits of the 20th century. If you"ve ever set foot in a Sunday school classroom, chances are you"ve seen Sallman"s long-haired, saintly, glowing Head of Christ. More than 500 million prints of this portrait have been sold since they went on sale in 1941. They now grace bookmarks, calendars, Bibles, buttons, stickers, lamps, clocks, and china dishes. Jack R. Lundbom"s biography of Sallman describes the artist"s ascetic lifestyle, his many battles with illness, and his aversion to publicity. (Sallman never even had a public exhibition of his paintings.) It also examines the many stories of miracles and testaments of salvation that have been attributed to Sallman"s work. Lundbom approaches his subject with credulity and curiosity, and comes away with a unique story about the role of art and artists in Protestant America. --Michael Joseph Gross