Adam S. Cohen

Adam S. Cohen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Art History at the University of Toronto. His research bridges Medieval European Book History, Jewish Art, and Monastic Manuscript Cultures, with a focus on illuminated manuscripts as intersections of theology, politics, and cross-cultural exchange. He co-authored the widely adopted textbook Art and Architecture of the Middle Ages: Exploring a Connected World (2023) and co-edited The Visualization of Knowledge (2020).

Research Interests:

• Examines how medieval art connects abstract theory to daily practice
• Specializes in Hebrew illuminated manuscripts (e.g., Rothschild Pentateuch)
• Investigates digital methodologies for manuscript analysis (Utrecht Psalter project)
• Explores sensory theory in medieval liturgy through the Les cinq sens au Moyen Age volume (2011)

Scientific Awards:

• Leverhulme Visiting Professor, University of Edinburgh (2023)

Education: PhD in Art History from Johns Hopkins University (1995).