Statue of St. Bartholomew in the Duomo di Milano

[yellowish haze]

What follows is a series of pictures of the statue of St Bartholomew (Marco d'Agrate, 1562) I took in Duomo di Milano. I must confess that I've never heard about this statue before.
It was after watching it for several minutes from the front that it occurred to me that to appreciate the ghastly effect of this masterpiece in it's entirety one had to walk behind the statue. The toga he appears to be wearing obviously turns out to be his own flayed skin with his true face hanging upside down on his back.

[Nemonymous]

That reminds me of the saint carrying his own skin in 'The Cicerones' by Robert Aickman.

[yellowish haze]

Quote Originally Posted by Nemonymous

That reminds me of the saint carrying his own skin in 'The Cicerones' by Robert Aickman.

Des, I distinctly remember that passage from 'The Cicerones', as you once quoted it somewhere on TLO. I now actually think Aickman must have been referring precisely to St. Bartholomew, but I still have to read the full story to be sure.

Here are a few more representations St. Bartholomew in art:

Detail of Michelangelo's "The Last Judgement"

Statue of St. Bartholomew in the Basilica of St. John Lateran

Here is more about St. Bartholomew:

Bartholomew the Apostle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bartholomew_the_Apostle

	TLO THOMAS LIGOTTI ONLINE

[Nemonymous]

Quote Originally Posted by yellowish haze

Quote Originally Posted by Nemonymous That reminds me of the saint carrying his own skin in 'The Cicerones' by Robert Aickman. Des, I distinctly remember that passage from 'The Cicerones', as you once quoted it somewhere on TLO. I now actually think Aickman must have been referring precisely to St. Bartholomew, but I still have to read the full story to be sure.

Please see correspondence here:
http://www.ligotti.net/showthread.php?p=6533#post6533

[Freyasfire]

This statue is incredible! Although I am sorry to say I think that it will give me nightmares for a few nights. The thought of being flayed terrifies me. There is a scene in the not very good but campy fun movie Dagon (directed by Stuart Gordon) where one of the characters has his entire face slowly peeled off which I have never been able to get out of my head and I am afraid that this statue has vividly brought this image back to me.

[Acutely decayed]

I am reminded of the chapter heading in Bierces "The Damned Thing"

"III. A man though naked may be in rags"

On the subject of Dagon, Without intending spoilers the very, very end of Dagon was sublime. The movie was campy, but that ending was great!