The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo - Essay Example

Michelangelo Painting: The creation of Adam Introduction Art is an expression of a person from how they perceive a particular moment, feeling or landscape. Different arts portray different emotions or moments of different artists. Through art, it is possible to deduce and depict the intentions of the artists at the time they were painting the art. Art is important in that through art, we indulge and dive in the time the art in question was created. Art is a window through which people study history. In the past, technology inventions had not yet been introduced, due to this, paintings and portraits were the only way of capturing images. Without art, it would not be possible to study history. Ancient history serves as evidence or proof that certain events or people existed. Different art portray different cultures, religion and political practices. For example, the Michelangelo painting of the creation of Adam indicates that the artists was religious and believed in the existence of Adam and God. The Creation of Adam painting The painting represents an image of God stretching his arm to reach out to Adam. The art creation dates back to 1512 and represents the creation of the first man named Adam. The type of the painting is a fresco. It illustrates the creation story in the book of Genesis in the Bible. The painting has served as an iconic painting to the human race the fact that God is touching Adam’s hand (Suk, Ian, and Rafael 852). The painting has also been reproduced and fakes distributed for countless times, depicting the originality and superiority of the painting. History Before the painting came to being, Michelangelo had travelled to Rome to build Pope Julius ii tomb. The tomb lasted for at least forty years and the work was not up to his satisfaction. While building the tomb, Michelangelo engaged in different activities. Some of these activities involved the painting of the Sistine ceiling. The work was remarkable and gave birth to the painting of the creation of Adam. Review In the painting, Michelangelo depicts God as an elderly man with a white beard dressed in a swirling cloak. On the other hand, Adam is on the left side of the painting and is completely naked. In the painting, God is seen stretching his right arm and affects the gift of life to Adam (Suk, Ian, and Rafael 854). The God’s finger does not actually touch that of Adam but only comes close to touch it. The painting depicts that Adam is in the Garden of Eden while God is above the clouds. The fact that God is on the top right side of the painting indicates that he is superior and on top of Adam. Adam is on the lower left side of the painting and naked. It shows that Adam is below God and indicates a subordinate type of relation between them. Again, Adam is naked and God is dressed in a cloak depicting that God is superior and civilized. It shows that Adam is not ashamed of his nudity towards God. It is also an indication that Adam might not be aware of the importance of clothes yet. On the left side of God, an image appears as a feminine in nature. The image could represent a female angel depicting companionship and understanding (Suk, Ian, and Rafael 856). The image illustrates that God is not alone and does not perform actions on his own. It shows an understanding in his decision-making. The God’s finger does not actually touch Adam’s finger depicting that God is superior and not on the same level with Adam. It also depicts that man should maintain a considerable distance when addressing God and should not come into contact. The painting is a revelation and acting proof that God exists and is above all of us. It shows that in the past people were religious and believed in the existence of God, as we should. The picture is also a revelation that angels are real and do exist (Suk, Ian, and Rafael 860). The painting depicts that Heaven is also real which means that Hell is also real. The painting however is only relevant to Christians as other religions for example the Muslims have different beliefs of existence of their God. Critics of the work The work has received numerous critics and the main one being that no one has ever witnessed God. It is difficult to imagine and paint the image off God and no one has ever seen him. Artwork does not limit an artist imagination, although, for years, human beings have pictured God in many forms. Several hypotheses have been developed to support or criticize the painting of creation of Adam. An expert in human anatomy named Anderson (Suk, Ian, and Rafael 862) developed an example of a hypothesis in 1990. The physician argued that the background images behind God in the painting resemble an image of the human brain. Another critic proposed to discredit the painting is about the cloth that God has on in the painting. According to Enrico Bruschini, the cloth resembles a uterus and the green scarf hanging around God’s neck resemble a new cut umbilical cord. The appearance of the uterus and the umbilical cord symbolizes that Adam was born, although not by a woman but he was not created. It also assures the question as to why Adam possesses a navel on his abdomen. The critics could be true, as no one knows what the artist wanted to portray in his painting. The fact that Adam has a navel also discredits that he was born. If he was created, he would not need a navel or there would be no navel in the painting. The two critics’ illustrates that there are two meanings and perceptions of the painting. The first meaning being the fact that God affects life to Adam by his finger and the second meaning is that Adam might have been born. The work meant a lot to Michelangelo as he took time and concentrated in working and painting the work. The painting lasted for at least a year before he was through. He painted the painting during his free time as he was engaged in building pope’s tomb (Suk, Ian, and Rafael 866). The painting serves that the artist was religious and believed in the existence of God. He also believed of the creation of the first man Adam. The Bible specifically the book of genesis served as his source in the creation of this painting. The artwork was created in Rome, a God fearing and religious city. The painting serves as a reminder of the existence of God who is above all human beings (Suk, Ian, and Rafael 870). The fact that God is on top of the painting and meet Adam indicates that he is superior, as the Romans believe. Assumptions After viewing the painting, it is easy to interpret that Adam is being created by word of mouth by God. However, after reading the critics, it seems that there is more to the painting than it depicts. The presence of the navel and the cloth resemblance to the uterus suggests otherwise from the creation story. Conclusion Art can be interpreted differently by different people .Most people would interpret the creation of Adam painting through their knowledge of the creation story. However, if one assumes that the creation story does not exist and concentrates purely on what is depicted in the paintings, the painting suggests otherwise. It is clear that Adam has a navel meaning that at some point he possessed an umbilical cord. The cloth of God and the scarf resembles the uterus and the umbilical cord respectively. These two facts are confusing and give an entire meaning of the painting. The background of the painting resembles the brain, which would mean that God only exists in our brain depending on how a person perceives the images. Perception of the art varies from one person to the other depending on a person’s views and beliefs. For example, the creation of Adam can be interpreted differently depending on a person’s beliefs. A Christian will interpret the painting according to their Bible knowledge unlike a person who does not know the creation story. Art serves as a window to the past and artists are a mirror of the society. Through art, an artist can paint his imagination and his thoughts. It is through art that we are made aware of different perceptions and critics of something that are new to us. Works Cited Suk, Ian, and Rafael J. Tamargo. "Concealed neuroanatomy in Michelangelos Separation of Light From Darkness in the Sistine Chapel." Neurosurgery 66.5 (2010): 851-870. Read More