A local young artist has been sharing his stunning portrait of Jesus, based on the Shroud of Turin, on social media. 

The artist

Anthony Miller, a graduating senior from Memorial High School in Madison, has always been interested in art. 

“Art has been something I’ve always just been kind of naturally drawn to, ever since I can remember, really. And usually I would do art of just the things I was most interested [in], whether it was like, sports, being an athlete was a big part of my identity; and music, I loved drawing my favorite musicians; and also just my Catholic identity, so I loved to make different art of different Catholic things.” 

Thanks to his family, the Faith has always been central to Miller’s life. 

He attended Blessed Sacrament School in Madison when he was younger.

Miller has worked in various media, including painting and drawing, both pencils and charcoals, as well as photography and apparel customizations.

One thread that connects a lot of his work is a commitment to realism, and he’s focused his skills through hyper-realistic drawings in charcoal.

Many of his works are remarkable portraits of athletes and celebrities. 

He recently collaborated with several country musicians, including Ella Langley and Stephen Wilson, Jr., to take photos of them on tour, which he’s since used to create drawings of them. 

His portrait of country singer Luke Combs is hanging in the artist’s bar in Nashville.

He tends to gravitate towards drawing things or people that tie to his interests. 

“I don’t want to just draw some random thing that may be popular, but I don’t really care about; I want to draw what I care about, and also . . . I realize that’s a gift that I got from God, so I want to use it to impact other people as well.” 

The Face of Christ

Last year, he decided to challenge himself with a new subject: the face of Christ.

“The Shroud of Turin was something that had always kind of interested me . . . I thought it would be cool to try a painting of Jesus, and . . . use the Shroud of Turin as a kind of template for it.” 

It was a spiritual adventure as well as an artistic one. 

“I entered into it with a lot of openness . . . Every time I sat down and started painting for the day, I would just pray, ‘Jesus, reveal Your Face to me.’ And that was one of the most impactful things for me was just kind of letting it happen and letting Him guide me on it.” 

The project was an endeavor into new artistic territory – it was his first time doing an oil painting, and it was his first time doing a portrait without a direct reference, such as a photograph. 

The Shroud provided a template, but the process required trust. 

“I didn’t really even have an idea of what the face would look like when I started, but I kind of just started going, and then it kind of just came up . . . [It] didn’t seem like I needed to force anything or change anything too much . . . That was kind of surprising to me . . . I didn’t know that it would come together in a way that felt right, without me questioning it or anything.”

Miller felt that Christ’s face was revealed to him more than ever as the face of love. 

He titled the painting “The Love of Christ”.

Sharing ‘the Love of Christ’

The prayer that was on his mind during the 77 hours spent creating the painting — “Jesus, reveal Your Face to me” — has stayed on his mind since.

“It definitely has also inspired me to use that prayer in other ways . . . I see other things that remind me of the process that that led me through as well, that just gives me a reminder of how He’s there for me always . . . It did give me a peaceful feeling making it, that I don’t always feel making other projects.” 

Miller often shares his art on social media, offering glimpses of his process, time-lapse videos, and images of the finished works. 

The painting of Christ was no exception. 

He made a video meditation, in addition to sharing his usual in-progress images.

He wasn’t concerned about how popular the post might be, but he wanted to share the image in case it could impact others.

“It was certainly different than, you know, posting a picture of some NBA basketball player or something, but it seemed like people appreciate it, which was good for me, encouraging for me, to know that I could put that out there and express my faith without any fear . . . It seemed to affect a lot of different people, so that’s just encouraged me that I’m using my gift in a good way.”

His posts highlighting the painting have gathered over a million views.

Miller feels that the response to this painting hasn’t been only by chance.

He had initially planned to go to college this fall, and was accepted to the University of Notre Dame.

However, he has chosen to defer his entrance for a year so he can focus on sharing this image, locally and beyond.