Anal Fisting, By Michelangelo
Is there anal fisting in the Sistine Chapel? If not, did there used to be? Art historians (amateur or otherwise) are invited to weigh in!
Here’s the image:
And here’s the attribution: (via)
Michelangelo’s Punishment of Sodomy. Detail of the Last Judgement from the Sistine Chapel, 1536-1541. Source: Erotica Universalis by Gilles Néret, p. 102. Copy by Witkowski, Gustave-Joseph-Alphonse (1844-1923)
So, this image is said to be a copy by a relatively modern artist. But, a copy of what, exactly?
I’ve studied available online images of the Last Judgment as it appears in the Sistine Chapel, and no detail like this is immediately apparent. However, I know that Michelangelo made many sketches and drawings before climbing his scaffold, and I know the church has had a habit over the years of altering details of religious artworks it found inconvenient. See, e.g., the bronze underwear I blogged about when this sex blog was impossibly new.
So, is this fisting image really a copy of something Michelangelo drew or painted? And if so, does such a Michelangelo fisting image really appear in the Sistine Chapel? Inquiring minds want to know.
As it happens, I’ve got a copy of Erotica Universalis, but it’s in impossibly deep storage, and it wouldn’t help further anyway. Being essentially a catalog of ancient pornographic curiousities, its attributions cannot be expected to be unduly rigid.
My own theory is that this Witowski character actually drew a deliberately pornographic parody of Michelangelo’s sinners, rather than a copy. But there were strange things done in the history of religious art, and I’d be delighted to find out I was wrong.
Shorter URL for sharing: http://www.erosblog.com/?p=2119
I am an art historian (amateur or otherwise), although neither a fan nor aficianado of Michelangelo’s meatball interpretations of the human anatomy. Without doing any extra homework, I would very much doubt that such an image would have passed censors of any stripe. There is a logical objection, too: for some, this form of punishment would be an incitement to sodomy. This is probably a montage of actual michelangelesque figures (the one with the veil seems familiar). What worries me is that the bottom figure is the devil and that I can’t see what his other hand is doing. Could there be an Italian expression like “shitting the devil”?
http://vr.theat...x.jpg
Extreme right side in the middle.
In the section known as the Last Judgement, on the far right-hand side, about a quarter of the way up. I believe the reason it’s not immediately apparent, is because this drawing is a mirror image of the actual painting… Still, it’s rather dark and obscured.
A later search, now that I knew what I was looking for, provided this wonderful detailed view.
http://www.famo....shtm
Thanks guys, it’s there sure enough!
Is it really there? In the image from the second link that Ken provides, there clearly is a space between the outstretched hand of the reaching figure and the backside of the other one. Certainly something is IMPLIED, but it is by no means as clear-cut as the sketch. If the sketch is indeed a copy from the original, it looks to me like some liberties were taken with the arrangement.
Okay, okay, so the image does exist, even though the gesture of the fisting devil is not as explicit as in the drawing. There is also a lot of drapery that looks like it might have been added to protect innocent bystanders from the implications of this theological free-for-all. As I recently said: different pokes for different folks.
What about the right-hand side? That fellow in the yellow robe appears to be doing something similar to the upside-down guy? Otherwise, where has Yellow’s hand gone?
Michelangelo’s quite the pornographer, apparently.
From the large-format 1997 Abrams published “Michelangelo–The Last Judgment”, Section VII Descending Vices: The damned soul…bites his fist to stifle the pain of a sharp tug on his testicles, which he gropes for with his splayed right hand.”
The large pictures on the book’s pages 99, 100-101 clearly show a demon’s hand outside the sinner holding on to the sinner’s balls (clearly visible unobstructed by any drapery).
I visited the Sistine Chapel in 2001 and studied the Last Judgment for over two hours: no fisting depicted, only ball yanking.
As for SydneyGal’s question about Yellow’s hand, Yellow and Green to the right and Lavender to the right of Green are all (angels) raising their right hands preparing to smack down Vice-laden sinners to Hell: Yellow’s brow is strongly furrowed and it looks angry…no “consensual” fisting.
There are actually much more genitally-violating renditions of Last Judgment punishment by artists before and after Michelangelo…his take is really not very extreme.
LOL — it’s not fisting, it’s ball-squeezing.
I honestly do appreciate the information, and everyone’s helpful comments. But I’m no less amused than I was before.
ive been to the chapple yes the picture is there and its supposed to be the punishment of the sodomites
Rome is really worth a trip if you are in Italy. I mean the Sistine Chapel alone will make your day.
I have traveled and seen many temples. Perhaps the most interesting one along the lines of this strange thread is in a temple near Ulsan Korea. I was looking at all the fine art at a temple when I noticed several monks seated on bear skins rugs on a painting of a temple. Each monk was dressed in fine attire and had a rug pulled over his lap. Next to each monk was a novice..that had his head under the rug apparently doing????
I’m not sure the rug hides whatever is going on. However, it was plenty clear to me that something interesting was represented.
This temple is part of a larger temple complex just North of Ulsan. I believe it is the 3rd or 4th temple as you come in..painting is on the far wall to the left of the altar.
Hmmmmm