Medieval Spanking Art: The Chronicles of Froissart by Justin

Louis de Gruuthuse (c. 1422-1492) was a Belgian nobleman and member of the Duke of Burgundy’s court, which governed areas of modern France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands.  He held titles from both Burgundy and England and, among other appointments, served as the duke’s representative to Holland, Zeeland, and Frisia, making him the highest authority of the court in those regions.  

Louis was also a patron of the arts and amassed a large personal library. In fact, it was the largest in Burgundy, second only to the duke, himself, with approximately 146 volumes.  These included books on jousting, Authorian legends, history, government, and religion.  As the modern printing press was only in its infancy, these were generally illuminated manuscripts, in which the text of a book was copied by hand and then illustrated with colorful drawings and page borders.  At the time, it was possible for there to be multiple versions of the same book, with different layouts, designs, and artwork - each custom produced for the person who ordered it.

One of these was the Chronicles, a history of 1300’s Europe and the British Isles written by Jean Froissart.  It is reported to be an engaging - but very long (and not necessarily historically accurate) - read.  In fact, the version of the Chronicles that Louis commissioned for his library comprised four separate volumes and includes multiple lavishly illustrated pages. 

Like many of Louis’s books, his manuscript of the Chronicles was passed to King Louis XII of France and then to the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris.  

Why this discussion of a wealthy Belgian, his library, and the Chronicles?  One of the illuminations in Volume II of the Chronicles includes artwork in the margin showing a most unusual scene, which appears to be a birching delivered to a knight either by a monkey or a man dressed in a monkey costume.  What we are to make of this remains unknown, but we offer it here for your consideration.  

 Read more about spanking-themed art, and its history, in Bad Lads, Strict Sirs, and the World of Adult Male Spanking (pages 435-455).