ABSTRACT
In this chapter I discuss both the artistic representation of the male nude and the gym-built body, showing how they go hand-in-hand, and the strong connection they have to homosexuality. The “full circle” I mention in this chapter began in the representation of the male nude, which receded during the Dark Ages, and made a comeback during the Renaissance. Such “fall and rise” of the gym-built body and the prevalence of gym culture occurred over three notable periods spanning approximately 2,000 years.
