A woman administers cupping treatment in Le Régime du corps, circa 1265-70 | The British Library
A woman administers cupping treatment in Le Régime du corps, circa 1265-70 | The British Library

What type of images come to mind when you think of mediaeval art? Knights and ladies? Biblical scenes? Cathedrals? It’s probably not some unfortunate man in the throes of vomiting.

It might surprise you to learn this scene is found in a luxurious book from the Middle Ages made with the highest-quality materials, including abundant gold leaf. Known as an illustrated manuscript, it was made entirely by hand, as virtually all books were before the adoption of the printing press.

Why would such an opulent art form depict such a mundane topic?

Scholars believe that around 1256, a French countess commissioned the creation of a health manual to share with her four daughters, just as they were forming their own households. Known as the Régime du corps, or “regimen of the body”, the book was widely copied and became extremely popular across Europe in the late Middle Ages, specifically between the 13th and 15th centuries.

Illustrated manuscripts from the Middle Ages, such as the Régime du corps, offer a window into many aspects of everyday mediaeval life

Over 70 unique manuscripts survive today. They offer a window into many aspects of everyday mediaeval life — from sleeping, bathing and preparing food, to bloodletting, leeching and purging.

Glimpsing relationships

The illustrations, which are usually located at the start of each chapter, convey information not often found in other historical records. Even if the images are idealised, they reveal an extraordinary amount about the clothes, objects and furnishings of the period. They also show interactions among people that reflect the culture and society in which these books were made.

In a scene accompanying the chapter on caring for one’s newborn, two women are depicted opposite each other. Closer inspection shows the well-dressed woman on the right is reaching across and grabbing the exposed breast of the woman in more simple attire. This scene — seemingly one of aggression and violation — depicts the evaluation of a potential wet nurse.

Wet nurses were used throughout the Middle Ages by some elite families who could afford them, but choosing a good wet nurse was critical, loaded with life-and-death implications. Aldobrandino of Siena, the author of the Régime du corps, warns that an unhealthy nurse can “kill children straight away”, pointing to very real anxiety around this important decision. The different clothing and headwear communicate each woman’s social status. The elite woman’s gesture also makes clear who has the power in the scene.

Across Régime du corps manuscripts, upper-class women are presented with clothing, objects and gestures that convey authority, often in dialogue with those who are shown as labourers of various kinds. Servants within elite households are also illustrated, especially in the chapters about various foods and their health benefits.

Medieval health maintenance

In the Middle Ages, the health of family members, from infancy to old age, was maintained through a variety of strategies that aimed for balance in the body. The Régime du corps recommended a wide range of treatments, including the release of bodily fluids through purging or bloodletting, to maintain such balance.

Cupping, or the placement of heated glass cups on to the skin, was among the procedures overseen by surgeons, because it involved scratching or perforating the skin before applying suction. Across the manuscripts, it is not uncommon to see physicians and other male practitioners represented, implying that elite households made use of such professionals.

The “Régime du corps” offered owners images that reflected their world — showing women asserting authority over the care of their families, providing treatment and contributing to a well-run household. The elite owners of these exquisite books were also provided with an added benefit: possession of such manuscripts was undoubtedly a symbol of status and evidence of conspicuous consumption.

The writer is a professor of Art History at Oklahoma State University in the United States
Republished from The Conversation

Published in Dawn, EOS, May 8th, 2022

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