Lavater and Lessing Visit Moses Mendelssohn
Moritz Daniel Oppenheim · 1856
Why it's great
A group of men gather in a study for a friendly but serious debate, with the Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn at the center. Oppenheim painted a famous meeting between Mendelssohn and two Christian thinkers, a story about respect and tolerance. It was an important message for German Jews in the 1800s. It's a famous image in Jewish history.
Where to see it
📍 Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and LifeBerkeley, United States
Open in Maps ↗Hang it on your wall
Three places to look for a print of this painting, from budget to museum-grade:
These links open search results on each shop's own website; we don't sell anything or earn a commission, and print quality varies by seller. Ask a grown-up before you buy anything.
Moritz Daniel Oppenheim was born in Hanau, Germany, to a Jewish family and trained in Munich, Paris and Rome. He lived mostly in Frankfurt, where he became a favorite painter of the Rothschild family. He is best known for warm pictures of traditional Jewish family life. He died in Frankfurt in 1882.
