Gerard Tuning,
IN QUATUOR LIBROS INSTITUTIONUM JURIS CIVILIS DIVI IUSTINIANI COMMENTARIUS
(Leiden: Elzevir, 1618).

Rare books often present fascinating puzzles that call for further research. This work is a very rare commentary on the Institutes of Justinian, the introductory volume of Roman law. Much apart from the legal commentary, it features something that is unique in our experience: a beautifully executed ink and watercolor illustration of a period figure, cut out and affixed to what is known as the book’s pastedown. Who created this remarkable image? Why was it inserted into a law book? The name beside the figure, Cornelius (possibly Conradus) Hirt, may offer a clue. A family of German painters from the period also bears the name Hirt, and at least one Conradus. Could a member of the family have done this, and why? Items like this raise intriguing questions, reminding us that often the past is still an open book.