Encounters between Christians, Muslims, and Jews were manifold in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period. In recent decades scholarship has increasingly begun to acknowledge the significance of such encounters for the development of artistic production and visual culture in each of these societies. For example, a shared culture of luxury goods common to the elite of both Christian and Muslim principalities, and the rich dialogue between Jews and Christians pertaining to the production of illuminated manuscripts, have been comprehensively studied. The 16th Annual IMAGO conference consequently aspires to examine the impact of encounters between Jews, Muslims, and Christians on the visual culture and art of the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period. We hope that the resulting papers will not only shed new light on the artistic, social, religious, and political mechanisms involved in such encounters throughout this period, but will also produce fresh insights into the cultural and artistic outcomes of these encounters.
We invite papers in English from diverse points of view: case studies of iconographies resulting from such encounters; studies of the artistic responses to specific conditions of encounters and dialogues; comparative studies on the connections between the Christian, Jewish, and Islamic worlds, etc. Interdisciplinary studies and those engaging with the production, reception, and interpretation of art produced through such encounters are of particular interest. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:
• Artists, artisans, and workshops
• Luxury goods, portable objects, and trade
• Manuscript illumination
• Visual elements in everyday life and the domestic sphere
• Visual agency in acculturation, mission, conversion,
interfaith debates, and polemics
• Images of Jews, Muslims, and Christians
• Use, reuse, misuse, and appropriation of objects
• Quotation, citation, and the migration of pictorial and
architectural motifs
The conference will take place on Thursday, March 2, 2023, at Bar-Ilan University.
Abstracts of no more than 250 words should be sent to Dr. Gil Fishhof (gfishhof@staff.haifa.ac.il) no later than January 1, 2023. Abstracts should include the applicant’s name, professional affiliation, contact details, and a short CV. Each paper should be limited to a 20-minute presentation, to
be followed by a discussion and questions. All applicants will be notified by January 20, 2023, regarding the acceptance of their proposal. For additional information or further inquiries, please contact Dr. Fishhof.
Organizing committee: Dr. Gil Fishhof, Dr. Zvi Orgad, Prof. Jochai Rosen, Ms. Mazi Kuzi, Ms. Masha Goldin
Medieval Art Research 