The Creation of Adam

The Creation of Adam , Michelangelo di Lodovico buonarroti Simoni ,

 1511 , Sistine Chapel, Rome

(image from http://www.hawaiipoliticalinfo.org/node/2298)

Description

The name of the artwork is The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo di lodovico buonarroti simoni. The year it was painted was 1511 to 1512 . The medium was used is fresco . Beside that , the artwork was paint on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel ,Rome .

The painting show the left side figure is adam and he is lying on the with his upper body face outward , his left hand is lifted up with his index finger slightly lifted  and reaching out to God and his face looking at the God . Beside that , adam right leg is stretch out same position as God did  . Other than that , the right hand side the one who wearing a milky color robe is God , God right hand is also reaching out to adam with fully extend of his index finger and his left hand putting on the shoulder of a woman is known as Eve , and his hand on a baby . The God is surrounded by angels, all the angels face look angry and fierce except for the woman and the baby that touch by the God.

The element of art applied in The creation of adam are shape , texture , line , and color. Organic line can be seen on the body figure , robe of God , earth , red scarf alike surrounding angels and God. The red scarf look alike in the background of God form the shape of oval . The painting consist of stimulated texture , that can found in the body , cloth and scarf. The color used in this paint consist of warm and cold  , the warm is red , brown and yellow which is the background of God and the skin tone the background of adam  . The cold is green , and blue which is the background of adam the earth and the mountain and also a scarf from one of the angels .

Analysis

The creation of Adam has consist of Principle of Organisation that is balance , emphasize , unity and line. In this painting u can find balance that form by the horizontal line that God and adam body figure shown and also their hand also show the horizontal line. Balance also can be found with the background of each side that is the earth and the number of angels form a balance in the painting . Emphasize is achieved by the value of this painting , it form a contrast by using the color more darker tone in the background God and using more bright on God ,  also adam skin tone is contrast with the background color . Unity is found in this painting that is similarity , the skin tone and the body figure of God and adam is similar and this form a unity and both figure proportion is almost the same. Beside that, implied line also achieved in this painting , the hand of the God and adam form a implied line and also the eye of God and adam .

The Creation of Adam is one of the most famous artwork of Michelangelo and the type of painting he used on this is fresco,  he learn his fresco technique from his first master call , il Ghirlandaio, in Florence. He painting this while he was lying and he have to paint quickly because fresco is a paint that easily dry up .

This artwork appear to be spiritual as in , it show that the beginning of man and God created adam with the image of himself. You can see the excited expression of God , because he saw creation from his own image. The expression is from the more energetic action from God hand. Beside that , you can see the humble expression of adam to meet his own creator , and the slightly lifted index finger show his hasten to meet God. Those angels surrounding the God seem very angry and fierce faces, maybe it show that God shouldn’t create man or just the angels are jealous that the God create a man as his own image.

Judgement

Michelangelo’s artwork is from the holy bible from the Christian and one of the chapter that is Genesis. The story of this bible didn’t mention a lot about the creation of adam , just a fragment of the story. Yet Michelangelo painted so well by using his own imagination . This show that in each of us , God in  our mind is different than others. Through our religion we have our own perspective , for Michelangelo  his a Christian and he believe in that God creation adam through his own image , God is the almighty creator and the one who give life.

Michelangelo even dough never really see God in real figure, he used man figure and painted as same as a man, it show that man created from his image. Also the background of adam is show the earth that we live in now is also create by God before man is created. Through this painting a lot of people come to visit Sistine Chapel just to see it and study it.

In the time of Michelangelo, a lot of people don’t have the money to study so they can’t read. Michelangelo used this chance to let people to understand more about the story through the painting because a picture is worth a thousand words. Christian people would believe more about the bible and also understand more about it. This painting is also a greatest gift to the Sistine Chapel.

Michelangelo paint The Creation of Adam in a way such beauty , people would see that God give birth to man , also the world around  us is also created by God. He painted the background red in color mix with the angels , it show that the angels are angry. God wearing a milky white robe , show his purity and almighty because , his God and creator of everything and also the light itself. Michelangelo painted adam nude because he wanted to show that God created human in it purest form and also the beginning.

Audience

The artwork is commissioned by Pope Julius II .Pope Julius II, also demand that Michelangelo have to paint the painting as fast as possible. And Michelangelo did the impossible , he painted as fast as no other fresco painter would have succeed in such short period of time and with such beauty painting.  The people who appreciate this artwork are art student, they would come and visit and critic it and learn the how did Michelangelo painted this artwork. Architecture people would also come and learn how the building and painting would mix together and form so unity. The Christian believer would also come and appreciation as they would let their children to see and know more about the story.