Raphael Maklouf

Raphael Maklouf
Name	Raphael Maklouf
Birth date	1937
Birth place	Jerusalem, British Mandate of Palestine
Occupation	Sculptor, medallist, coin designer
Known for	Effigy of Elizabeth II used on Commonwealth coinage (1985–1997)

Raphael Maklouf

Raphael Maklouf is a British sculptor and medallist born in Jerusalem in 1937 who gained international recognition for his portrait effigy of Elizabeth II that appeared on Commonwealth coinage from 1985 to 1997. His career bridges numismatic design, public sculpture, and commissioned portraiture, intersecting with institutions such as the Royal Mint, the National Gallery, and various municipal authorities across the United Kingdom, Israel, and Hong Kong. Maklouf's practice brought him into professional contact with figures and organizations including Queen Elizabeth II, the Royal Society of Arts, and the Worshipful Company of Pewterers, shaping a reputation within fields of portraiture, medallic art, and public memorials.

Early life and education

Maklouf was born in Jerusalem during the British Mandate for Palestine and relocated to Britain where he trained at the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts and the Royal College of Art. His formative years placed him within artistic circles connected to patrons and institutions such as the Royal Academy of Arts, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the British Museum, providing exposure to historical sculpture, coinage, and medallic traditions exemplified by figures like Auguste Rodin, Antoine Bourdelle, and Alberto Giacometti. During his education he engaged with portrait commissions and studied techniques that linked him to established medallists and sculptors working for the Royal Mint and municipal authorities in London, Edinburgh, and Belfast.

Career and commissions

Maklouf's professional breakthrough occurred when he submitted designs to prominent competitions and commissions administered by bodies such as the Royal Mint, the City of London Corporation, and the Commonwealth. His work brought him into collaboration with numismatic and cultural agencies including the Royal Mint Museum, the British Numismatic Society, and the International Art Medal Federation (FIDEM). Commissions extended to civic memorials and portraiture for civic leaders, institutions like the National Trust (United Kingdom), and religious communities associated with synagogues in England and cultural institutions in Israel and Hong Kong. He maintained relations with collectors, dealers, and galleries such as the Society of Jewish Medieval Art and regional arts councils responsible for public sculpture acquisition.

Coin and medallic work

Maklouf designed coins and medals for national mints and private striking firms, most notably producing the third official coinage portrait of Elizabeth II adopted by the Royal Mint and circulated across the Commonwealth of Nations. His medallic oeuvre includes commemorative issues for organizations such as the Royal Society, the Royal Horticultural Society, and commemorations associated with events like the Commonwealth Games and municipal anniversaries in cities such as Belfast, Manchester, and Glasgow. He collaborated with engravers and die-sinkers linked to firms like the Pobjoy Mint and the Heaton Mint, and his designs were exhibited in exhibitions organized by the British Numismatic Society and international salons hosted by the Fédération Internationale de la Médaille d'Art. Collectors of modern medals and numismatics regard his portraiture alongside works by medallists such as William Wyon, Percy Metcalfe, and Ian Rank-Broadley.

Sculpture and public artworks

Beyond coinage, Maklouf executed public sculptures and portrait busts commissioned by municipal councils, universities, and religious institutions. His public pieces have been installed in civic spaces managed by authorities including the London Borough of Camden, the City of Westminster, and cultural trusts in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. He produced memorials and figurative sculptures echoing commissions undertaken by artists whose public works are found in squares and parks across Europe and North America, aligning him with traditions represented by sculptors such as Jacob Epstein, Henry Moore, and Giles Gilbert Scott. Maklouf's portrait busts of public figures entered collections of universities like Oxford University and Cambridge University and corporate collections such as those of the Institute of Directors and the Bank of England.

Style and influences

Maklouf's style synthesizes classical portrait realism with a medallist's emphasis on relief, surface modelling, and economy of line. His influences draw from historical and contemporary practitioners including Donatello, Sir Francis Chantrey, Alberto Giacometti, and 20th-century medallists who advanced relief portraiture. The sculptural vocabulary in his coin effigy balances monumentality with intimacy, reflecting conventions shaped by the Royal Mint portrait tradition and portraitists who have depicted monarchs such as Thomas Brock and Bertram Mackennal. Maklouf's work demonstrates sensitivity to likeness, iconography, and the constraints of multiple formats—from three-dimensional busts to low-relief coin fields—while engaging with aesthetic debates present in institutions like the Royal Academy of Arts and the Royal Society of Sculptors.

Honours and recognitions

Throughout his career Maklouf received recognition from numismatic and artistic institutions including awards conferred by the Royal Society of Arts, the British Numismatic Society, and regional arts councils. His coin portrait achieved widespread public visibility through circulation across the Commonwealth of Nations, resulting in honors and professional acknowledgments from municipal bodies and cultural organizations in the United Kingdom, Israel, and territories such as Hong Kong and various Caribbean states. Maklouf's contributions to medallic art and public sculpture are documented in catalogues of the Royal Mint Museum and featured in exhibitions organized by entities such as the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Royal Academy of Arts.

Category:British sculptors Category:Medallists Category:People from Jerusalem