Some of us went out to celebrate New Year’s Eve, some of us stayed in. Only President Trump auctioned off a live-painted portrait of Jesus Christ for $2.75 million.
The painting was created in about ten minutes live on stage at Mar-a-Lago by Christian worship artist Vanessa Horabuena, who the president described as “one of the greatest artists anywhere in the world.”
President Trump opened bidding at $100,000, but bidding quickly skyrocketed into the seven figure range. Proceeds will reportedly go to St. Jude’s Children Hospital and a local sheriff’s department.
This headline-grabbing painting got us thinking: What are the most famous paintings of Jesus Christ? Let’s take a look.
1. The Last Supper — Leonardo da Vinci (1495–1498)
This is the Jesus imagery everyone knows, even if they’ve never opened a Bible. Painted on the wall of a Milan convent, The Last Supper captures the exact moment Jesus announces that one of his closest friends will betray him.
Leonardo da Vinci expertly captures the shock, confusion, and denial cascading across the table. Jesus sits calmly at the center, isolated even among friends, and Judas is draped in shadow, visibly shocked at the discovery of his betrayal.
2. The Crucifixion — Matthias Grünewald (1512–1516)
If you’re looking for a comforting Jesus, this isn’t it. Grünewald’s crucifixion is brutal, unflinching, and intentionally ugly. Christ’s body is twisted, wounded, and diseased, painted to mirror the suffering of plague victims cared for at the Monastery of St. Anthony.
Grünewald hoped that those who prayed before this altarpiece would see a Jesus who shared their pain and understood their suffering.
3. Salvator Mundi — Leonardo da Vinci (c. 1500)
Jesus stares directly at the viewer, one hand raised in blessing, the other holding a crystal orb symbolizing the cosmos. Salvator Mundi presents Christ as ruler of the universe, but with a softness in his face which complicates that authority.
The painting’s authenticity is the subject of much debate – more than 30 copies and variations created by da Vinci’s pupils have been discovered - and some believe the original was destroyed in 1603. And its record-breaking auction price ($450 million) only adds to its mystique.
4. Christ Pantocrator — Byzantine Icon (6th century)
One of the oldest surviving images of Jesus, this icon from Mount Sinai shows a striking asymmetry: one side of Christ’s face is merciful, the other severe. This isn’t accidental.
The piece captures Christ’s dual nature as both divine judge and understanding savior, his right side soft with compassion, his left hardened with judgment. Long before realism, this image taught believers that these two sides of Jesus are inseparable.
5. The Supper at Emmaus — Caravaggio (1601)
Caravaggio paints the moment when two disciples finally recognize the resurrected Jesus, who is depicted as looking soft and youthful in contrast to the aging disciples. This is resurrection without glowing halos or heavenly choirs, instead focusing on a human moment of pure astonishment as the two disciples explode in revelation as they discover what has been in front of them this whole time.
6. The Sacred Heart of Jesus — Pompeo Batoni (1767)
This image helped define Catholic devotion for centuries. Jesus gestures toward his exposed heart, aflame with love and wounded by humanity’s sins. His blood-red tunic represents his martyrdom, and the blue mantle draped over his right shoulder symbolizes His divinity.
The piece was instantly popular, and became synonymous with the devotion for the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
7. Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee — Rembrandt (1633)
This painting, Rembrandt’s only seascape, depicts the moment Jesus calms the storm on the Sea of Galilee. The painting is chaotic: the boat tilts, the waves crash, the disciples panic – and Jesus, astonishingly, sleeps – depicting the serenity of faith even amongst terror.
Adding to this piece’s fame, it was stolen in 1990 in the largest art heist in United States history, and the case remains unsolved and its whereabouts are unknown.
8. Ecce Homo — Antonio Ciseri (1871)
“Behold the man.” This piece shows the moment Pontius Pilate presents Jesus before the crowd. The grandeur of Rome, with its impressive columns and cheetah skin-draped throne, lay in contrast to the humble Christ, shirtless and bound.
By contrasting Jesus with the overwhelming visuals of Roman authority, the piece asks viewers to reckon with how easily injustice becomes a spectacle, and forces them to confront how they’d react were they there.
9. Head of Christ — Warner Sallman (1940)
AKA the painting of Jesus from your grandma’s house. One of the most reproduced religious images in history, Sallman’s Jesus shaped American Christianity’s mental image of Christ for generations.
Soft lighting, gentle eyes, and a calm gaze make this Jesus deeply approachable. Critics have questioned its realism and cultural specificity, but its influence is undeniable.
10. The Last Judgment — Michelangelo (1536–1541)
This is not the meek and mild Jesus of Sunday school. Michelangelo’s Christ is muscular, commanding, and terrifying in authority as he separates the saved from the damned. Painted behind the altar of the Sistine Chapel, it confronts worshipers with the ultimate reckoning. Love and mercy are present… but so are the consequences of sin.
11. Historically Accurate Jesus?
From legendary frescoes to amateur doodles, there have been uncountably more artistic depictions of Jesus throughout the years, and dozens of other paintings could have a claim to make this list alone. However, art historians are quick to note that these depictions of Jesus vary widely in their accuracy.
For example, Jesus is quite often depicted as a white male with straight, light colored hair – which almost certainly wasn't the case, experts say.
Related: What Did Jesus, Mary, and Joseph Actually Look Like?
On that score, another image has made waves in recent years: an AI depiction of Christ that historians say more accurately depicts his ethnicity as an Arab man born in the Levant:
Do you have a favorite from this list?
22 comments
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Mountainsage
Must everything be argued? I believe it is Jesus’ message that is important.
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Sir Lionheart
And what message would that be? There are no historical contemporary writings from anyone that actually knew him.
I wonder what he actually ever really said? 🤔
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Lori-Ann Neeb
I think it is important to remember that he was a man born into a middle eastern culture. He would have looked middle easterned in appearance. Those white washed versions were human creations supported by controlling and manipulating corrupt churches at the time.
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Nicholas J Page
Trump you haven't met.my brother Who lives in California and is an American citizen. He is a billion times better than this artist An artist who does not throw together in 10 minutes on a live stage.Thats why before he retired he was a tattoo's artist so this painting is rubbish.
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Sir Lionheart
And yet he got $2.75 million as a donation to a good cause. I look forward to your brother being equally as effective, with him being a better artist.
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
Another case of Trump pandering to the severely religiously delusional members of his ever-faithful, hopelessly ignorant base camp. And Trump is the reason that I dropped my Apolitical stance, leaving me only with my Atheistic approach to life.
As for this being a ‘great’ work of art? Surely you jest!
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Sir Lionheart
I am so sorry to read that you dropped your apolitical stance and lost, to someone that you believe is delusional. It sounds as though you are really upset, but not to worry, only 3 years left and you’ll be able to try again to see if the electorate agrees with you. If the result ends up being the same, which is possibly looking very likely, try to hang in there as best you can. Some of us are here for you. 🤗
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Colleen McAllister
Not sure I'd call some of those famous as I've never seen a few of them, but since there is no actual photo of Jesus nome of them are realistic. My favorite of those above is #9 since it hung in my parents home, and mine for many years. The truth os that it doesn't after what Jesus looks like. Whatatters is that He was, is, and will be back for me and all believers.
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
Yeah, that photo hung in a lot of homes. Unlikely likeness. But highly likely that indicative of a conservative household. Praise Jeezus.
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Sir Lionheart
How nice that President Trump raised money for St. Jude’s Children Hospital, and a local sheriff’s department. I wonder of Joe Biden or Kamala made any bids to add to the cause? 🤭
It’s quite amazing how mankind love to create images of someone they like to think really existed 2,000 years ago, which of course is very possible. He could have had long hair, but was his hair greying, or thinning? Did he look more like Joseph, or a grandparent? That would have raised some eyebrows. It’s a pity there aren’t any written accounts available from any historians that actually met him and really knew what he looked like.
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James Riggle-Johnson
Wow, you cannot resist a political jab, can you? And yes, Joe and Kamala have both made charitable donations, but probably using their own money. I know Kamala has helped to raise money for HIV/AIDS research in her early career here in California. Now, back to the article.
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Sir Lionheart
I wonder if Nancy Pelosi donated any of her ill gotten millions. She is the epitome of the saying: “Inside every socialist is a capitalist trying to get out” Ilhan Omar is another, along with many other socialists of course.
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James Riggle-Johnson
Of course Nancy has. I was there once when she pledged thousands of dolars to SF AIDS Foundation. That was a lifetime ago. And she is not a socialist. She is very proud to be a capitalist. It's a fairytale to call all Democrats a socialist.
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Mary Haviland
I think that the dutch dipition is wrong. I did my own research too. And according. To facts. Jesus was she is considered causation. Even if you take the shower of toran, he has all the features of being a carcasion. He was also an essence. And he and many from his line were the color of the Italians. As that was what Noah was considered to be like. And many from the casause mountain area who even today are more the image of the Italians. They have been there since the landing of the ark. And they have been uncontaminated for thousands of years. The darker figure of Jesus is only for those who are jealous and wants their Messiah to look like them. But kind David was known to be ruddy, that means fair or light enough to see red in his face when he blushes and red blood vessels closer to the surface. Isaac's brother esau was also known to be a red head. Sarah and was know as fair or light, that was why she was hidden. And others even Joseph were knoen to be light. In fact on the shrowd and on the head cloth that Jesus was covered with haf blood that was treated to be A or AB which are blood types know to be what those if the Canasian decents had. And according to the image on the clothes it depicts that of a tall cacasain man. And according to the painting prince of peace by anika and also the boy I don't remember his name that said he saw Jesus and has been telling his story about it, who also says that Anika prince of peace painting is what Jesus looked like. And according to Roman who had seen and written about Jesus's apperance, he was light and fair. It is said that his mother was asli light and fair and Jesus I hearted all his features 100% of them from his only parent, Marym. And if she was fair, he was a male colone if her, he would also have to be then. And also David had light eyes and so did Jesus according to the information on his blood type and the shroud and eye witnesses. Google and I did some brain storming using all we know about Jesus, and he came to the same concussion as me. And it isn't what that artist came up with. I. Face according to an ai 3d imaging done at one of the most prostigic instatutes, they said their findings have depicted that Jesus was basically looked much like Johnathan Rumny. I am not sure if there is any way to paste or aflix me y proof here or not. Hey there is Moore and more proof coming out that contradicts the dark Jesus image for our Lord. Just because many of the people in the area were darker and maulum like. Doesn't mean Jesus or his descendents were. Infact I believe there are Bible passages that says they Gods children were quere in that they were unusual in how they appeared to all other people if that time. And also that God's people would tan dark, not so if they were of darker skin. God's people the isealites also had long hair because they wore their hair in long ringlets. And even with the image on the shroud it shows Jesus with long hair. So if that AI came up with that image, it's because it wasn't given all the info it needed to come up with the correct image if Jesus. Hell even when Joseph was sold to the Ethiopians when he was in the pit, and they saw him, from the top of the pit, they know he was an issrealite/hebrews. That means it had to be obvious that they could tell right off the bat that he was an Israelite. They didn't go down into the pit and pull down his pants to see if he was uncercomsized to know he was an I realize he was an Israelite. Why. Because they could see right away he was different. That means the Israelite and Hebrews were different then the majority of the forest of the population. If Google can come up with accurate info and come up with the conclusion that Israelites were causaians, then he must be smarter then ai. Ai had to be stupid.
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Samuel Tamayo
Oh and all beautiful painting 😊
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Samuel Tamayo
Hard to Describe upon holy spirit Anointing . Brightness is (lovingly) warm and an overwhelming feeling of the loving embrace of the Lord's presence . Voice of spirit mind not vocal. That's it , please share your experience if something different.
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Elizabeth Jane Erbe Wilcox
Yet another distraction from the Epstein files. Read Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Roberts Giuffre. She was trafficked by Epstein at 14 years of age. You will want to take a shower after reading it.
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Reverend Paula Copp
The AI mockup looks about right…no one with a lick of sense would think that an Arab man is blonde haired and blue eyed!
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Cindi
That is close to what I am thinking that Christ looks like. One thing is that he was rugged, strong and tall. He, after all was a skilled carpenter. In those days you had to be able to use tools that we couldn't even lift. Therefore, Christ is truly muscular with strength and stamina. Not a weak mild wimp.
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Rev. Miche'al Yosef Dixon
Except for the tall part you are correct. When I studied "Christian Archeology" at a Christian College. The text books provided that At the timeframe of Jesus of Nazareth the men were approximately on average 5' 5" and women were 4'7". Considering the 3 times Jesus "cleaning the Temple" drove out the crowded area by Himself. That requires strength.
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Joseph Grieco
Where did they get their physical information? Most women were significantly taller than what you claim. That height would officially classify them as dwarves. Heights have a lot to do with the diet, specifically during their youth, and involving protein. While we normally dismiss that part of the world as a "Desert", it isn't. The normal growth includes grasses and bushes that support sheep and goats. Most families had a couple of chickens for eggs, and cooking (once their egg production stopped). Cereal grains and fruits were also abundant. Sadly, many of these "Christian Colleges" start with a conclusion and work backwards to find evidence to support it. Yeheshua would have been a commanding presence to initially attract followers. He already had a small following before his cousin, Yuan, baptized him on the banks of the Jordan. Once he received this imprimatur, his following grew. So the thought of him being only about 5'5" when that was actually shorter than the average height (5'7") really doesn't mark him as a "physical presence". Oh, yeah. And his isn't blond and blue eyed. That was one of Da Vinci's lovers, Gian Giacomo Caprotti, Tommaso de'Cavalieri, or Cesare Borgia.
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The information that Google comes up with can only be derived from the information available to it because it has already been discovered by man, thus it becomes then the choice of man which available information he takes from Google to present. Google is no more accurate than all the information available to it by man. If you were to cleanse your soul through Prayer and Meditation you would spiritually gain the truth through insight provided to you by the all.