Unraveling the Mystery: Who Really Painted Maimonides' Portrait?

The Year: 1844. The Place: Gorizia, Italy. The Likelihood: A bit of amateur forgery.

"Regarding your request to obtain from me the portrait of the great eagle, Maimonides, of blessed memory, I cannot deny that it is difficult for me to part with the illustration, as it is the work of my own hands that I painted in my youth... therefore, I am willing to fulfill your request, but on the condition that after you finish your work, you will produce as many copies as needed and return it to me."

These lines are taken from a historical letter written by the Italian Jewish scholar, Isaac Samuel Reggio, known as Yeshr of Gorizia. He sent the portrait of Maimonides, which he personally drew, to his friend Rabbi Zalman Stern of Berlin. The letter's date, the earliest recorded reference to the famous image of Maimonides, is the 27th of Kislev in the year 1844, over 150 years ago.

But is this the original image of Maimonides? Likely not.

Yeshr, the author of the letter, admitted that he copied the image from a Christian book where Maimonides’ likeness unexpectedly appeared. The immediate question is how Maimonides' portrait ended up in such a book and on what basis its attribution is correct. Researchers who examined the image believe an anonymous artist attempted to capture the essence of a wise Jewish-Arab scholar, blending Eastern attire and rabbinical facial features.

Rabbi Raphael Baruch Toledano, the rabbi of Meknes, even proved that the clothing style in the image aligns with the Eastern fashion of Arab countries, while Maimonides primarily lived in the Maghreb, where dress styles were different.

The rapid distribution of this image solidified it as a questionable but established fact. Over time, it officially became regarded as Maimonides' portrait. It adorned Jewish-American books, stamps worldwide, and even an Israeli banknote worth 1000 shekels, eventually converted to a one-new-shekel note. Throughout the Jewish world, it has been warmly adopted and prominently displayed at the entrance of Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa, named in honor of the great eagle.

However, it's not the only one—there are numerous other images purported to be portraits of Maimonides. His vast influence and renown across the Jewish and non-Jewish worlds spurred continual attempts by unknown artists. Researchers count over seven different paintings and depictions of Maimonides, with the most popular one being the most accepted and revered.