Diagrams, symbols, and figurative elements have been applied throughout the centuries to illustrate the development of thought, or to explain complex concepts visually. In early legal manuscript and law books, visual presentations closely correlated to the written text, are often used to explain or teach the law pictorially. Used as memory aids or visual short cuts for verbal explanations, they fall in the rubric of the ars memorativa.
This lecture, illustrated with important examples, will explore art and artists in the service of teaching and application of the law.