7LEONARDO AND HOMOSEXUALITY

When he was 24, he was accused of sodomy, but because the accusation was anonymous nothing came of it.

Some scholars studying Leonardo affirm that he was definitely homosexual, as he formed an attachment with two men during his life, Andrea Salaì and Francesco Melzi. Others say that he remained celibate, and even Freud joined the debate, stating that the artist never lived out his homosexuality. A number of drawings found in the manuscripts of Da Vinci mention Salaì’s sexuality. One particular drawing based on Leonardo’s painting “John the Baptist”, known as the “Angel Incarnate”, shows a young nude man who seems to be Salaì. We’re still not sure who the artist was. Perhaps Da Vinci, or even Salaì himself.

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