Was Michelangelo's 'Last Judgment' inspired by visits to brothels and bathhouses?

Michelangelo's fresco "The Last Judgment" resides in one of the holiest places in the Christian world -- the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican. Now a researcher is claiming that Michelangelo's inspiration for some of the figures in the 16th century masterpiece came from a far less exalted realm -- the brothels and bathhouses of Renaissance-era Italy.

As reported in Britain's the Guardian and Daily Telegraph, author Elena Lazzarini, a researcher from Pisa University, has published a study stating that Michelangelo was inspired by his frequent visits to gay brothels and Turkish baths. The author points out instances of homoerotic imagery in "The Last Judgment," including a man being pulled by his testicles and scenes of strenuous nude male activity. (From Los Angeles Times)

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