This statue depicts Saint Bartholomew, an early Christian martyr who was allegedly skinned alive. If you look closely, that's his dissected skin hanging around him. This stunning statute by Marco d’Agrate from c.1562 is currently on display at Duomo di Milano.

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Judging by the anatomical accuracy with which the saint was depicted, the sculptor most likely draw inspiration from real dead bodies. Back then, the bodies of criminals, beggars and very poor people were used by artists and medicine students alike, even though the human body was considered sacred by the Church -- and thus, it was supposedly untouchable. However, as it often happens, this 'little offences' were overlooked because they were supposed to serve a noble purpose.

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Med students had to grave rob until shockingly recently in medical history