The Maimonides Portrait: An Appraisal of One of the World’s Most Famous Pictures

Abstract

Surprisingly, an utterly imaginative “portrait” has become synonymous with Maimonides forever. How and when did this particular portrait become associated with Maimonides? This and many other intriguing questions regarding this portrait are systematically addressed, and its origins, possible inspiration, and hidden objectives are revealed.

Keywords

• Maimonides
• portrait
• iconography
• art
• history