Art at Zion
Zion is fortunate to welcome and house the following important works of art.
Bernhard Plockhurst
"The Consoling Christ"
Thanks to a generous gift from Lorinda Goff Belnap, a large oil painting that hung in the original Zion Lutheran Church building has been returned to Zion.
The Consoling Christ
Bernhard Plockhurst (1825-1907) was a German painter best known in the United States for his many religiously themed paintings. His work, The Consoling Christ, was created around 1888. While the location of the original painting is not known, this faithful oil copy (painted by Paul Fjellboe, 1873-1948, a Norwegian painter who came to Utah as a convert to the Mormon church) hung in the original Zion Lutheran Church at 400 East and 200 South in Salt Lake City between circa 1905 and 1928. This large painting has been hung in the narthex above the staircase.
The painting hung at the front of the original church to one side of the altar. There is currently no information about its companion piece.
In the 1930s, Zion remodeled the entire interior and took down its steeple, which had become unstable. The paintings were removed from the sanctuary and lost until 2024, when Lorinda Goff Belnap contacted Zion to inquire about returning one of them, The Consoling Christ, to Zion. Her discovery of the painting, she reported, was stunning and serendipitous:
"A dear friend of mine has in his possession a large painting entitled "The Consoling Christ" painted by Paul Fjellboe (a Norwegian painter who, as a Mormon convert, came to Utah). He didn't know the provenance of the painting other than it was purchased at an estate sale and it supposedly hung in a church in Bingham Canyon. I later learned that the painting was purchased from James "Jim" Stewart's estate sale. Jim was my Dad's first cousin and his mother, Ellen Dahlstrom Stewart, grew up attending the Bingham congregation. While at the [Marriott] library I came upon an interior photograph
of the original Zion Lutheran Church taken in 1908. In the background is The Consoling Christ painting. In a later
photograph after renovations were done, the painting no longer is pictured."
The painting hung at the front of the original church to one side of the altar. There is currently no information about its companion piece.
In the 1930s, Zion remodeled the entire interior and took down its steeple, which had become unstable. The paintings were removed from the sanctuary and lost until 2024, when Lorinda Goff Belnap contacted Zion to inquire about returning one of them, The Consoling Christ, to Zion. Her discovery of the painting, she reported, was stunning and serendipitous:
"A dear friend of mine has in his possession a large painting entitled "The Consoling Christ" painted by Paul Fjellboe (a Norwegian painter who, as a Mormon convert, came to Utah). He didn't know the provenance of the painting other than it was purchased at an estate sale and it supposedly hung in a church in Bingham Canyon. I later learned that the painting was purchased from James "Jim" Stewart's estate sale. Jim was my Dad's first cousin and his mother, Ellen Dahlstrom Stewart, grew up attending the Bingham congregation. While at the [Marriott] library I came upon an interior photograph
of the original Zion Lutheran Church taken in 1908. In the background is The Consoling Christ painting. In a later
photograph after renovations were done, the painting no longer is pictured."
Zion Lutheran Church interior, 1908
When the painting left Zion, it was likely given to the congregation of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Bingham Canyon, which was a branch of Zion.
Zion is grateful to Lorinda for helping get this piece of our history back home to Zion Lutheran Church. We would also like to acknowledge the cleaning and restoration work done by Kathy Wilson, Trolley Art and Antiques.
Zion is grateful to Lorinda for helping get this piece of our history back home to Zion Lutheran Church. We would also like to acknowledge the cleaning and restoration work done by Kathy Wilson, Trolley Art and Antiques.
John August Swanson
"Procession", "Peaceable Kingdom"
Susan Auer and Pr. Tony Auer have gifted Zion with two serigraphs from their personal art collection. The pieces are done by internationally know artist, John August Swanson, whose work is shown at Tate Modern Art Gallery in London, the Vatican, Cathedral of the Angels in Los Angeles, Emory University, Loyola Marymount University, and numerous publications, including Life Magazine.
“The images I make are not for “art’s sake,” nor are they for pure self expression. I want to speak to you in everyday terms as if you were sitting here beside me. I try to make accessible and reaffirm certain values—caring for each other, acting as peacemakers, or something as simple as listening to someone who needs to be heard. These values are all around us, are part of us, and I want to tell their stories. When we make music together, or walk in the country—or in a great procession together—we are living parables from the Bible and history. I want to affirm the solitary and mundane acts as well. The woman who irons her family’s clothes has as much dignity and worth as the statesman. My work is my most social act. My art is the way I can talk to you.” --John August Swanson
The two pieces are Procession and Peaceable Kingdom, which was a gift to Susan and Pr. Tony from the artist himself, celebrating their many years of friendship. You can learn more about the artist and see more of his work by visiting his website.
“The images I make are not for “art’s sake,” nor are they for pure self expression. I want to speak to you in everyday terms as if you were sitting here beside me. I try to make accessible and reaffirm certain values—caring for each other, acting as peacemakers, or something as simple as listening to someone who needs to be heard. These values are all around us, are part of us, and I want to tell their stories. When we make music together, or walk in the country—or in a great procession together—we are living parables from the Bible and history. I want to affirm the solitary and mundane acts as well. The woman who irons her family’s clothes has as much dignity and worth as the statesman. My work is my most social act. My art is the way I can talk to you.” --John August Swanson
The two pieces are Procession and Peaceable Kingdom, which was a gift to Susan and Pr. Tony from the artist himself, celebrating their many years of friendship. You can learn more about the artist and see more of his work by visiting his website.
Procession
Peaceable Kingdom
