Christian Artist Thomas Kinkade Dies at 54

Thomas Kinkade, who dubbed himself “The Painter of Light,” has passed away at the age of 54. Kinkade’s work, which was often criticized as being empty and devoid of critical thought, was hugely popular and made Kinkade a multimillionaire. A devout Christian, Kinkade often painted spiritual scenes and sold items like a “Christian table topper” (a “3D tabletop sculpture celebrates the story of Easter in 13 scenes and 45 sculpted figures”) and even produced a movie called Christmas Lodge, based on one of his best-known paintings.

Kinkade is survived by his wife and four daughters, who (fun fact!) all have the middle name “Christian.”