SOLVED. book about a painting dealing with Christ's crucifixion [s]

[Coni]

This book would have been published in the late Sixties or early Seventies. It is an adult novel, though I came across it as a child in a volume of Readers Digest Condensed Books my grandmother had. The premise is that the main character sees a painting of Christ carrying the cross and, as he looks at the faces painted in the crowd, sees his own face. He starts to wonder what he would have done if he had been alive at that time.

[``Laurie]

This sounds like a fascinating book Coni, have you checked out the many books by Frank G. Slaughter written near the time you mentioned? He wrote many books of this nature.
Good luck finding your book.

[Coni]

Isn't it a fascinating premise? I am not familiar with Slaughter. I will check out your suggestion. Thanks!

[``Laurie]

I definitely want to read it now Coni. Hopefully someone will soon remember reading this book and can help you find it.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Moving to Unsolved since you are looking for one specific book.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Wikipedia has a great RDCB page. Maybe you can pinpoint the year or possible years you read this and recognize the title here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reader%2...

[Kris]

At first I thought Behold the Man by Michael Moorcock looked promising, but it seems to involve a time machine not a painting.

Coni, does he travel back to the time of Christ?

[Kris]

I think it's The Shape of Illusion by William Edmund Barrett.

It appeared in the Readers Digest Condensed Books in 1972. Good reference, Lobstergirl!

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Coni, was Kris's suggestion "The Shape of Illusion" your book or are you still looking?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

No response but it seems to be the right book. Moving to Solved.

"The work of an obscure German artist, the scene showed Christ leaving the palace of Pontius Pilate under a guard of Roman soldiers forcing their way through a stone-throwing mob. There was no doubt that it was a true masterpiece of Renaissance art. But for the four people who gathered to view it, the picture possessed a quality that was absolutely unique: As each of them looked upon it he found himself clearly depicted as one of the howling mob."