Blog 3: Creation of Adam
Many of you may recognize this piece. This is Michelangelo Buonarroti's "Creation of Adam." It is one of nine scenes from the Book of Genesis that was painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican in Italy. They are all fresco and the paintings were created between 1508 and 1512. This is thought of as a high renaissance painting. Two notable factors behind this painting are Michelangelo's relationship with the Medici family and the reinvention of Rome.
Michelangelo had personal relationships with the Medici family, which influenced his work. According to PBS, Michelangelo was a student in Lorenzo de'Medici's school of art starting when he was 13. This is where he first explored his interest in human anatomy. Michelangelo is well known for his masterful depiction and contour of human muscle and body anatomy. This was spurred by the Medici family, as he did his first human cadaver dissections with Lorenzo Medici. Dissecting cadavers have Michelangelo a better understanding of human anatomy. He was particularly interested in muscle and bone. This is part of what makes his works of art so breathtaking. As you can see in "Creation of Adam," Michelangelo's expert grasp on human anatomy and muscle movement makes the painting seem natural, real, and gentle. From the curve of the muscles, to each tendon making it's appearance, to the veins in the arm of the representation of God. His artistry makes his artwork stand out. This realism is a characteristic of the Renaissance.
The reason Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the Sistine Chapel was rooted in the reinvention of Rome. Rome had been the place of spiritual and economic center. However, power struggles between wealthy families and political hostility caused the Catholic Church and papacy to move to France. Because of this, Rome was no longer a hub for activity and beauty and began to crumble. In 1377, the Catholic Church returned. After a while, they were tired of the condition and thought to give Rome a new face, beginning with Pope Martin V. And thus, the reinvention of Rome. They found and restored old artwork, dragged sculptures from the bottoms of rivers, and vowed to beautify the Church by attracting great artists. Among them, Leonardo da Vinci, Raffaello Sanso da Urbino, and Michelangelo. In 1506, Pope Julius II initially approached Michelangelo to commission him to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. This was in an attempt to beautify the Church and reinvent Rome as a spiritual and artistic center. "Creation of Adam" is one of many paintings on the ceiling of Sistine Chapel. They are all based on the Old Testament. As the title suggests, the painting depicts God's Creation of Adam, in giving him life.
The Medici family was also very influential in the reinvention of Rome. They were an art loving family and helped fund and commission artists. They even commissioned Michelangelo to create sculptures for their family tomb.
I find this painting beautiful. Michelangelo's ability to capture the reality of a natural human body is incredible and draws you into the painting. The nudity in his paintings allows him to display the beauty of the human body and the full scope of his skills. The line and tone gives his work a gentle and natural feel. I appreciate the tone is light and the shadowing is incredible in the musculature of the figures in the painting. I'm also interested in the optical texture of his work. You could imagine how it would feel to touch the people in this painting. It really seems to connect the Heavens and the Earth and the background adds a simplicity and draws attention to the main figures. I am not religious myself, so it does not hold religious significance to me, but I still admire it and appreciate what it stands for.
Sources:
Michelangelo: The Mind of the Master. Getty Museum. https://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/michelangelo_drawings/explore.html#:~:text=Unlike%20most%20Renaissance%20artists%2C%20who,was%20in%20his%20late%20teens.
J. Green. The Renaissance: Was it a Thing? CrashCourse History (2012) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vufba_ZcoR0&t=607s
L. Kljaich. The Reinvention of Rome. UAF (2019)
https://media.uaf.edu/media/t/0_r5yu5j0c
Italian Renaissance Art - Fresco Painting. Artyfactory.
T. Gihring. Meet the Medicis: the mad, marvelous family behind the Italian Renaissance. Minneapolis Institute of Art (2022)
How to Recognize Italian Renaissance Art. Smarthistory. (2017)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YiL9MNyGKE
Michelangelo is a fantastic artist. This piece of art showcases his work to the fullest extent. You did a great analysis of the components of the painting as well as how the Renaissance influenced the piece. I love the religious piece as well because my religion is important to me. The person on the right appearing dark reaching a hand out makes your eyes immediately drawn to the light figure. This was a great example of how an artist can dictate where the viewer looks. The light and shadowing effect was a very popular thing in the Renaissance period. The way the human body is displayed was also a popular thing for artists to incorporate during this period. Overall great analysis and explanation of the painting.
ReplyDeleteHi Kate! I find that the Creation of Adam has such a deep imprint in visual/art history, so it’s really nice to see a great analysis on it and why its so striking even now. The imagery of the hands is usually what people notice first, but the way the poses flow into each other with invisible leading lines allows the viewer to travel over the whole painting. A good use of composition from Michelangelo’s work. I like that you mention the anatomical aspect of the forms, realism being a big part of the Renaissance. Great read!
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