The Art of Joel ben Simeon: A Closer Look and a Broader View

A great deal has been written about the noted fifteenth-century scribe-artist Joel ben Simeon, but there is no agreement as to which manuscripts were by his hand. It has been decades since his illustrations, most of which are attributions, have been reviewed. In recent years, decoration in a few other manuscripts has been added to his oeuvre. I have found several more works — especially in codices produced in Italy — that contain scenes that seem to be in Joel’s style. These images have not been attributed to anyone previously.

From a broader perspective it is clear that within some manuscripts whose art has been ascribed to Joel his distinctive style alternates with that of a different, more sophisticated artist. These collaborative efforts will be explored as well.

This lecture will revisit the works that have been attributed to Joel in the past and demonstrate that other manuscripts display the same stylistic characteristics and artistic vocabulary. His role as a collaborative artist will be analyzed as well. This talk is not intended to provide the final word on Joel ben Simeon’s career. Instead it will offer a critical viewing of this scribe’s art and present a greater range of possibilities of works by his hand to be explored in the future.