Marta Madero .Tabula Picta: Painting and Writing in Medieval Law . Translated by Monique Dascha Inciarte and Roland David Valayre . Foreword by Roger Chartier . (Material Texts.) Philadelphia : University of Pennsylvania Press . 2010 . Pp. xi, 141. $45.00.
Charles M. Radding
The Tabula Picta in the title of Marta Madero's book refers to a dilemma occasionally posed by Roman jurists: if someone writes text or paints picture on writing surface wooden tablet mine, whom does resulting work belong? For example, third‐century jurist Paul six Digest (a compendium law compiled under Emperor Justinian I) had no doubt that belonged owner papyrus, parchment, tablet, although he allowed some might have different opinion case “because cost paint” (D.6.1.23). distinction between image and medium used produce it is taken up only few other passages Justinianic works, typically dealing either with ownership object (D.41.1.9 Institutes 2.1.34), cases where erased damaged (D.34.2.12 D.50.16.14), but was developed more detail Middle Ages when those attracted scrutiny medieval jurists. It learned tradition principally concerns Madero.
The American Historical Review