The Nauvoo Temple is one of a series of detailed pencil drawings and paintings created by the artist Chad S. Hawkins. In 1989, at the age of seventeen, Chad started this unique temple series, becoming the original LDS artist to involve hidden spiritual images in his artwork. Before drawing each temple, Chad visits the temple site to research its history, construction, and beautiful surroundings. He then returns to his studio to draw the temple by referring to his notes, sketches, and photographs.
On January 19, 1841, the Prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation commanding the Saints to erect a temple. Between 1841 and 1846, members of the church erected the temple, the most significant structure to rise above the Nauvoo landscape. Built of native gray limestone, the temple's spire reached a height of 165 feet, making it the largest structure west of Cincinnati and north of St. Louis. From its location on the highest hill of the city, the Nauvoo Temple overlooked the entire countryside on either bank of the Mississippi River. The name Nauvoo is based upon a Hebrew word meaning beautiful. After the Saints left Nauvoo in the severity of winter in 1846, the mob took possession of Nauvoo and its temple. On November 18, 1848, the sacred structure was set on fire, at which time all was destroyed except the walls. What the Saints had labored and sacrificed for several years to build was destroyed in just a few short hours. A tornado in 1850 leveled part of the temple walls by the mid-1850s, nothing was left standing. This aerial rendering of the Nauvoo Temple depicts the structure in 1847 from the corner of Wells and Mulholland Streets. Under the guidance of the Prophet Joseph, Nauvoo became one of the largest cities in the state of Illinois, and was commonly referred to as The City of Joseph. To honor that great prophet, Chad has placed Joseph Smith to the left of the temple, viewing the stately building and holding the Book of Mormon.
This comes in a 11x14 or a 16x20 print.