Thrust: A Spasmodic Pictorial History of the Codpiece in Art

by Michael Glover

A laugh-out-loud visual history of the strangest piece of men’s clothing ever the codpiece.

The codpiece was fashioned in the Middle Ages to close a revealing gap between two separate pieces of men’s tights. By the sixteenth century, it had become an upscale must-have accessory. This lighthearted, illustrated examination of its history pulls in writers from Rabelais to Shakespeare and figures from Henry VIII to Alice Cooper. Glover’s witty and entertaining prose reveals how male vanity turned a piece of cloth into a bulging and absurd representation of masculinity itself. The codpiece, painted again and again by masters such as Titian, Holbein, Giorgione, and Bruegel, became a symbol of royalty, debauchery, virility, and religious seriousness—all in one.

Centuries of male self-importance and delusion are on display in this highly enjoyably new title. Glover’s book moves from paintings to contemporary culture and back again as it charts the growing popularity of the codpiece and its eventual decline. The first history of its kind, this book is a must-read for art historians, anthropologists, fashion aficionados, and readers looking for a good, long laugh.

Genres: Art, History, Nonfiction, Art History

96 pages, Paperback

Published November 26, 2019

About the author

Michael Glover served in the British army during the Second World War, after which he joined the British Council and became a professional author. He wrote many articles and books on Napoleonic and Victorian warfare.

Reviews

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really, really wanted to love this one. It's well written and actually really funny, yet surprisingly lacking in depth. I was honestly looking forward to a more thorough exploration of masculinity, art, sex culture, fashion, etc of the time (through the convenient lens of the codpiece). Instead it was an entertaining but shallow slideshow of winks, nudges, deft wordplay, and scant historical context. A nice quick read but I really think it could've really *gone* somewhere - and been funnier and more interesting along the way.

[Teddi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less a history and more a series of ekphrases on codpieces in works of art. Enjoyable as a pictorial overview, but as the title suggests a more historical focus, I wanted more context.

[luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This slim volume is a joy and just as laugh-out-loud humorous as it is informative. It's so rare to find a work of scholarly merit that also leaps from the page with a healthy dose of wit and a dash of irreverence. Anyone interested in art history, men's fashion, and, well, getting "into the thick of it," will surely enjoy this book.

[Simon Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this short book, Glover explores the history of the codpiece in art, from its first appearance as a functional garment bridging the top of two stockings for men, through its brief (and with modern eyes utterly ridiculous) celebration as a fashion item, to its sudden demise in all but sporting contexts (where the name is no longer used). The book is mostly structured around very short essays connected with particular artworks.

I found this book delightful. Glover writes with a heavy dose of humour, but also in a way which brings fresh perspectives on both history and contemporary fashion. It is a little heartwarming that a good, short book on such an esoteric topic can find a publisher and an audience.

[Kt Wakeling · Rating 5 out of 5]

"He could be any diplomat, any bishop, any successful politician, were it not for this, well, almost clownishly extravagant, curliewurly, whooping-it-up red codpiece, which turns him into the very devil of heavy-breathing carnality"

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I discovered the existence of this book about codpieces I felt compelled to own and read it. It is an academic exploration of codpieces in art (after all, it has both endnotes AND a bibliography), yet the author reminds us, through the strategic use of adjectives, that his tongue was pretty firmly in cheek as he wrote it. I don't always agree with his interpretations of the different images, but this book is definitely interesting and weird and fun.

[David Macpherson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this weird book about codpieces in art. Is it aparody or is it a straight monograph that just happens to have a ton of penis puns in it? This was wild. It was worth the time and I had a blast with it.

[Stephen Rötzsch Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant, wry little volume that has every bit as much fun with the subject as you do.

[Rhiannon Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amusing and mildly informative.

[Samanda Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding. And, it really is very funny and fabulously written. Cheered me up no end while trying to rid myself on COVID-19

[Salma · Rating 3 out of 5]

learned the word ‘braggadocio’ here

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

The piece of attire closest today to the codpiece in men’s clothing is the athletic cup. Unlike the codpiece, however, the cup is hidden and meant to protect, whereas the codpiece was visible and meant to provoke. "What was it used for, then, other than to exaggerate and adorn the mighty male organ of generation? Well, as a pocket for one thing. Or, stuffed with straw or horsehair, for shapeliness’s sake, it could help protect the more beautiful outer surface of one’s stockings against staining from smeary ointment used to treat syphilis. . . It could be used to hang things from. . ."

And much more. Decorative and practical—who can knock the pragmatism? The fashion trend lasted about 50 years during the latter half of the 16th century, and was widely depicted in the leading nations of the day—Italy and Germany, England and France (the provenances of the artists used to exemplify Glover’s theme). Hans Holbein the Younger, Peter Bruegel the Elder, Titian, and other painters, illustrators, and etchers from the period provide the evidence. Glover is our docent, and his wide-ranging historical and artistic references are tempered with a tongue-not-quite-in-cheek narrative that amuses and educates—another pragmatic value.

[Hal K · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about flamboyant medieval crotch decorations, what’s not to like?

[Taylor Yingshi]

forever on my dorm bookshelf its funny asf