Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam"

Paper Summary:

This short paper analyzes the iconography of Michelangelo's famous "Creation of Adam" fresco to determine the hidden iconology of the work and to propose an additional theme of the work, that of the passage of time and what results from it. To do so, the paper briefly delves deeper into the iconography of the Adam figure depicted in the work in order to establish the theme of evolution (in the non-Darwinian sense) which brings results from this passing of time. Once this theme is established on the left side of the work, it is applied to the right-hand section of the painting to identify its key figures, revealing that in such a calculated series of frescoes for the private chapel of the pope, Michelangelo did not place random cherubs at God's side but instead Eve and Christ. This conclusion is reinforced by an analysis of the mantle enswathing God and the figures, exposing that what is apparently a cloak is actually an all-important uterus, which only serves to strengthen the notion of time in the fresco. Pictures of the painting are also included in the paper.

From the Paper:

"The figure to the furtherest right (Fig. 3), who receives upon his shoulder the touch of God's thumb and index finger, is the first to reveal his true identity. Though no genitalia are visible, the child's sex is reasoned to be male due to the figure's boyish hairstyle and pseudo-muscular body, which in itself can be viewed as another instance of Michelangelo's theme of evolution--the body shows what the boyish face will become, reflecting the relationship between Adam's body and penis. This detailed analysis of the boy reveals another important observation. The boy, unlike almost all the other figures in the mantle, does not affix his gaze to the creation of Adam, but rather stares directly ahead, below, into the eyes of the viewer. The boy's expression, as well, is incongruent with those of the other figures. The others in the mantle have a serene, yet serious mien, while this child shows a disgruntled, almost painful countenance. It is as though he can feel, through the touch of God, that the very creation of Adam will cause him suffering."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Eknoyan, Garabed. "Michelangelo: Art, anatomy and the kidney." Kidney International 57 (2000): 1190-1201.
• Hollander, Anne. Seeing Through Clothes. New York: The Viking Press, 1978.
• Salcman, Michael. "The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564)." Neurosurgery 59 (2006): N11-N12.
• Solomon-Godeau, Abigail. Male Trouble: A Crisis in Representation. New York: Thames and Hudson, Inc., 1997.
• Steinberg, Leo. "Who's Who in Michelangelo's Creation of Adam: A Chronology of the Picture's Reluctant Self-Revelation." The Art Bulletin 74 (1992): 552-566.

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