Ralph Pallen Coleman, as reflected in the illustrations, photographs and biography in this book, was a major American illustrator in the 20th century, who learned his skill as a boy growing up in Philadelphia, refined it while at the Philadelphia College of Art, then became a master over the 50 years he was a professional illustrator.
The first phase of his professional career, from 1915 to 1942, was focused on illustrated American stories of that era, and were published in a variety of high-quality publications. The second phase of his career, from 1942 to 1968, shifted to illustrating the life of Jesus Christ and the Bible.
While the first painting Ralph Pallen Coleman, Sr., ever sold was to the American Sunday School Union in 1915, and he sold a few other religious paintings throughout the 1920s and 1930s, his first major Christian painting was The Eternal Christ. The painting was done at the suggestion of the wife of the Minister of Ralph's church, Grace Presbyterian Church, Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, shortly after their son was killed during World War II. The painting was reproduced as a church bulletin and several million copies were distributed to both civilians and servicemen during the war. For many Americans the losses of friends and family during the war kindled a revived interest in their Christian faith.
Ralph went on to paint over 400 Christian illustrations over the next two de cades. Many of his religious paintings were reproduced by different Christian denominations, and millions of Americans were familiar with his paintings during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.
In his later years, Ralph ventured beyond pure illustration to design a series of stained glass windows on the life of Christ for Grace Presbyterian Church. For more details about the artist, see his biography in Appendix I.
Until the release of the Christian Illustrations by Ralph Pallen Coleman in the Fall of 2018, the last time any images of the artist were produced was the mid-1960s, so over 50 years.
