Ahasuerus, Wandering Jew 1876

Maurycy Gottlieb painted this oil on canvas, titled "Ahasuerus, Wandering Jew," during a time of heightened antisemitism in Europe. Gottlieb, a Polish-Jewish artist, died young at the age of 23, but he left behind a powerful body of work that grapples with questions of identity, history, and belonging. Here, Gottlieb portrays Ahasuerus, a figure from Christian folklore condemned to wander the earth until the Second Coming for allegedly taunting Jesus on his way to the crucifixion. The artist emphasizes the emotional and psychological dimensions of Ahasuerus's plight. We see him as a symbol of Jewish suffering and displacement. The heavy crown and weary eyes speak to the burden of perpetual exile. Gottlieb's Ahasuerus invites empathy, challenging viewers to confront the human cost of prejudice and persecution. In doing so Gottlieb develops an alternative narrative, offering a nuanced representation of Jewish identity in a climate of hostility.