Christian Art's Greatest Hits

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"The Face" then moves on to non-European material, like a rare crucifixion scene done in the Islamic tradition and images from Coptic churches. Ricardo Montalban mellifluously narrates the Latin American segment, which opens with a view of the mountaintop Jesus statue of Rio de Janiero and closes with a graphic, anatomically correct close-up of the Sacred Heart.

Christian art from Asia is given short shrift; viewers may wonder whether beautiful calligraphy on a Chinese church sign is all Asia can offer. Works from the African continent do not appear at all, though African American representations of Jesus are addressed later in the show. The final segment treats contemporary images, ranging from Chagall's powerful "White Crucifixion" to Warner Sallman's well-known "Head of Christ."

In attempting to cover as many styles as possible, the show suffers from a few incongruous juxtapositions. Its uneven segues, which must have been planned with pledge drives in mind, are also distracting. Despite this, the power of the images and the passion of the artists come through. In great part, "The Face" achieves what it set out to do: support Andre Gide's contention that "True art is always a collaboration between God and the artist."