English Engraving & the Importance of Swimming Lessons

DS sends me a 250-year-old English engraving titled The Sea fight off La Rochelle. The work is an image reproduced from Jean Froissart’s 14^th century account of the Hundred Year’s War, Chronicles (1337-1410). The engraving itself is the portrayal of a naval battle from the Hundred Year’s War – 14^th century sailors falling in droves into the sea! The four books that comprise Henry Noel Humphreys’ 1848 reproductions of Froissart’s Chronicles are offered for sale in the form of four antique bound books, at Thorn Books in London, for $7,500. This engraving is ONE of many plates from one of those volumes. Froissart’s engravings were reproduced in the 14^th and 15^th century, and reproductions were made available in the 19^th century by two engravers (1820 and 1848) four hundred years later. This little image is important in the context of both the history of medieval war and nautical art history.

A comparable sale for this one image was not found, but this image – of inverted, doomed soldiers plummeting from single masted ships – was “reprised” in the early 19^th century and again in the mid-19^th century from works “after” (inspired by) Froissart’s 14^th century engravings. Nautical renderings like this one are, surprisingly, one of the more important historical narrative sources for maritime historians who study early seafaring battles, particularly those fought during the Hundred Year’s War (1337-1453). But, DS, what is remarkable is the unflinching portrayal of the soldiers, weighed down in their armor, falling headfirst into the sea. The 14^th century artist Froissart depicted the “action” in stopwatch “real time,” so dramatically, so colorfully, that historians believe he was there. This little engraving with its action scene depicts the battle that the 14^th century artist witnessed himself, because no third party narrator could have evoked that kind of clarity of imagery in action. The Battle of La Rochelle took place in 1372, and at that time sailors were often not taught to swim, as we see in this naïve and sad image.

Surprisingly, unless a medieval commoner was a fisherman or worker by the water, few men could swim, and a woman in the water meant that both she and the water were contaminated. And nudity was looked upon as a sin. Pietro Monte, a Milanese fencing master who authored books about combat and training for battle, wrote in the 15^th century that swimming should be taught – most especially if a father would train a young boy for the militia or battle, because swimming trains the arms for fencing. He wrote that swimming is considered one of the seven free arts of chivalric training, along with riding, shooting, dancing, climbing, fencing, wrestling, leaping, hand-to-hand combat, and jousting. This training enforced the chivalric code of conduct which flourished in the courtly circles of the 13^th century and onward in Europe, emphasizing the qualities expected of an ideal knight: courage, honor, courtesy, justice, and service to the weak, including women. The Pentangle on Sir Gawain’s shield in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight of the 14^th century represents the five key points: friendship, generosity, chastity, courtesy and piety.

As opposed to the courtly and dignified chivalric code expected of warriors, images like this engraving of a seminal sea battle show us that war at sea was terrifying, fought hand to hand, in armor, with men at oars in small skiffs, and larger medieval single-masted ships called “cogs.” The “cog” ship carried no cannon, but for battle purposes could be outfitted with a naval ram, as well as iron and stone projectiles, catapulted from the cogs’ elevated decks.

What was this remarkable battle about? The Hundred Year’s War (1337-1453) was, classically, a conflict between the Kingdoms of England and France in the late Middle Ages. Edward III of England made a claim to the French throne, threatening France’s sovereignty. The century-long war was fueled by nationalism on both sides, and during  a period when culture and languages were not so easily distinguished between England and France. A pandemic happened in the middle of the war, called the Black Death, which illustrates the link between a global pandemic (which causes insecurity and disorientation) and nationalistic retrenchment.

The 100 Years’ War was the Middle Age’s most famous conflict, because five generations of kings from England and France fought over the rulership of France, the wealthiest kingdom in Europe. The war was also the longest conflict in European history. The result, after 116 years of war, against the English? The French forces remained in control of the Kingdom of France. Thus, France and England were from then on separate monarchies.