Joseph Fielding Smith

by Godfrey J. Ellis – oil 1970

This painting of the prophet of the time, Joseph Fielding Smith, was the first true portrait that I can remember painting. I was a 21-year-old missionary in France when I painted it for the contacting boards that my missionary companion, John Horejs, and I were building. It came out well, although it wasn’t all that effective at promoting discussion and attracting passersby which, after all, was the point of the panels. This photo of the painting is much enlarged, hence the blurriness. Below is the reference photo.