"Le vent lui fouettait le visage"

Question

Which of these two is correct, or are both correct. I expected that #2 is correct but it seems the Kwiziq writing challenges expect only #1. I can see both in use elsewhere on the web but I only understand the reasoning behind #2.
1. " Le vent lui fouettait le visage"
2. " Le vent fouettait son visage"
Isn't le/son visage the direct object?
Isn't the use of lui implying that there is an indirect object?
But fouetter does not use indirect objects, does it?
Are we supposed to look at this as:Subject: The wind
Verb: whips
Direct object: the face
Indirect object: (of) him

But why? There is no "à" in this sentence "Le vent fouettait le visage de Marcel", only a "de".

Aurélie Drouard · Accepted Answer

Bonjour David !
Actually, in this structure, the person is the indirect object:
Literally (and very clunkily), the sentence would be "Le vent fouettait le visage- à Marcel.". It's like the face and the person are two different entities in that structure:"The wind whips the face to Marcel."
It sounds very weird, I completely agree with you, but this is definitely how such sentences are structured in French :)
Bonne journée !