The painting called, The Creation of Adam is a fresco painting and made by a Italian artist Michelangelo.

The
painter, Michelangelo is a Italian artist in Renaissance era in 16th century. The painting was made between 1508
to 1512. The fresco is part of the complex iconography scheme and is chronologically the fount the series of
panels depicting episodes from genesis. This painting, The Creation of Adam is the most famous section in the
ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. This painting also located next to the creation of eve which is the panel at the centre
of the room and the congregation of the Waters, which is closer to the altar.
Michelangelo is one of art history's earliest true "characters." He was a polymath genius who is widely
considered to be one of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance period even while acquiring a reputation
for being temper driven, fickle, and difficult. His work was infused with a psychological intensity and emotional
realism that had never been seen before and often caused quite a bit of controversy. There are some artworks
by Michelangelo such as The Last Judgement, Bacchus, Doni Tondo, The Pietà, and etc. He has the most
famous artwork which is The creation of Adam.
Creation of Adam was a famous painting that contribute by Michelangelo, Italian High Renaissance artist. This
painting been a one of the more outstanding frescoes out the nine central panel on the Sistine Chapel ceiling,
which is named Cappella Sistine in the Vatican Palace in the Vatican City in Rome. For your information, the
hands of God and Adam which is the focus on this painting. God and Adam hands still dramatically frozen in this
time if any moment in this world will explode when their fingertips will touch. Michelangelo create this painting to
tell us, refer to the Book of Genesis in the Bible.
Michelangelo Creation of Adam painting based on The Book of Genesis in the bible, that is in Verse 1:27. In
Verse 1:27, "God created man in his own image, in the image God created him; male and female created he
them. In additionally, the fresco, two large of male figures, that is God in the right position and Adam is to the
left. Seeing that both figures hands meet in the centre of the composition. Adam' s arm reaches out to God's right
arm, and both of their fingers meet in the centre, but it is not touch. However, still have a differences between
both of the figures. That is figure of God to the right, visible that he wearing appears a whitish tunic, and his us
older than Adam, proved by grey hair. Have 12 figures behind and around God. Those figures look most appear
youthful and also look likes an angel, even so they do not have wings. Figure besides God's left-hand side, that
is female, regardless, this figures always the topic of scholarship debate of many years. Some consider it is male
figure, but others think that figure could either be the Virgin Mary or Eve. And furthermore, if we look closely,
God's left thumb touching the right shoulder of the childlike figure beside the male/female (Virgin Mary or Eve)
that mentions above. Childlike holding onto the leg of the male/female figure and look so glum. All the figures and
God who is semi - enclosed by a white robe white or what looks like a reddish robe behind him, and at the
bottom, there are some legs dangling outside of them which also have a scarf or light green things that fluffy it.
That scarf is attached to the male/female who is on the left side of God. In additionally, the perspective of God
figure is placed almost at a diagonal angle, God does not seem to be leaning on anything, but seems to be held
by figures around him. Anyhow, this position be a questions, like from many aspects of this composition, which is
will discuss. The blue-grey formations on the green hillside are likely a rocky or sky formations, and Adam fully
nude compared with God, he was a muscular figure. But he does not have a beard and visibly look so younger.
Adam leaning on his right elbow, and his left elbow rest on drawn - up left knee, while his right leg stretched out
on the grass. Look qt Adam's head its look slightly tilted to his left and ranges in the direction of his outstretched
left arm, and straight direction staring at God. God is looking at Adam. His figure is similar actively engaging as
he reaches to Adam. Adam situated slightly below God, but their figures equally distant from one another.
To analysis the Michelangelo's art, The Creation of Adam, Panofsky’s method has been used. Panofsky’s
iconography is a branch of art which concern with the subject matter or the meaning of the work of art. To
develop his concept of iconography, Panofsky have done a number of philosophical ideas to replace the notion
of Kunstwollen with Cassirer's philosophy of symbolic forms and used neo-Kantianism to analyse art through a
priori categories. Based on Panofsky, perspective is an example of a "will to form". That was an unnatural
invention of a particular period of time, The Renaissance. Panofsky state that the perspective is a form of ideas
and that ideas is related to a place and time, a position of relativism that rested uncomfortably with the desired
transcendence of symbolic form.
The colour scheme used looks bright which is brown and creamy. There is also the use of cool colours in the
painting. For example, God's hair is blue-grey and Adam's hair is dark brown with some parts showing light. In
addition, the use of colour that is not too bright, which is green, is also used on grass and scarves. The subject
that looks like a mountain behind Adam also uses grey blue colour. As for the warmer colour, red is used on the
cloth found behind God. There is also this white-grey colour used in the colour of the sky. It can be seen that
there is a darker area on the surface gap intended to evoke the shape and anatomy of the figures. The use of
almost the same skin tone on the figures creates a harmonious effect. In addition, there are contrast effects and
different colour values due to the use of different colours on the background of the painting such as green, blue
and red. The background colour which is white-grey also effectively evokes the main figure which is God and
Adam. A light texture is visible on the drapery and clothing found on the figure. This is due to the processing of
soft colours and fine lines on the subject. The figure's skin texture looks smoother and there are also figures that
are depicted as having plump and muscular flesh. The figure's hair looks soft and wavy as if there is movement
of the wind, especially on the God's hair which seems to react to the wind. Adam's shape and position appear
concave while God's shape appears convex. This shows the contrast that exists between the two figures and
describes the relationship that exists between God and Adam. It can be seen that curved shapes are used
almost on the entire painting, especially on the background. In terms of shape, the two main figures, God and
Adam are depicted as identical in terms of size and body shape. The figure of Adam looks more relaxed in
contrast to the figure of God who looks dynamic and strong. Appropriate processing of lines and tones gives a 3-
dimensional effect to the figure and makes the drawing seem alive. If observed more deeply, the figure of God is
like a triangle which also means to give balance to the figure of God.

The fresco method was the method employed by Michael Angelo to complete The Creation of Adam. Fresco is a
method of painting on walls that involves adding pigment to freshly applied wall plaster. However, Leonardo da
Vinci invented a new method by adding colour pigments to a layer that had barely dried, therefore this definition
has slightly changed. Buon fresco, which translates to "while wet," is the origin of the word fresco in Italian. He
has finished creating Adam using two fresco techniques. He began by employing the Buon fresco method. In the
fresco Buon painting method, plaster is painted swiftly before it hardens. While the fresco secco technique uses
lime dissolved in water and is applied on dry plaster. He must therefore employ this technique to create the
figure's face. Next, Michael Angelo utilised dark red chalk as his medium to create the creation of Adam.
Because red chalk may be shaved to a smoother surface than black chalk, so he decided on dark red chalk.

In conclusion, Michelangelo is the greatest artists of the renaissance. He was learning art of fresco painting
under Ghirlandaio who was the most talented of fresco painting. Michelangelo focuses on painting, poetry,
sculpture and architecture. He was part of the revival of classical Greek and Roman art, yet his unique
contributions went beyond mere mimicry of antiquity. Although in the beginning Michelangelo was not a painter,
He succeeded to produce one of the greatest works to date which is the creation of Adam’s artwork. The creation
of Adam is nine of the paintings found on the Sistine Chapel's ceiling. As a result of his hard work, he was able to
complete the artwork in just 4 years. Michelangelo not only influenced the artists that studied under him, but he is
an icon in the world of art today. People still find awe and inspiration through his work. Millions of visitors file past
his masterpieces each year just to catch a glimpse of the Renaissance master's work.
Reference

Ecesu. (2022). How to Analysis a Painting with Panofsky’s Iconological Method. The History Corner. 25
November 2022. How to Analysis a Painting With Panofsky’s Iconological Method — The History
Corner

Ward.J. 1909(Fresco Painting: Its Art and Technique). London: Chapman And Hall, LTD.
www.survivorlibrary.com/library/fresco_painting_its_art_and_technique_1909.pdf

Holroyd.C. 2006(Michael Angelo Buonarroti). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.

The Project Gutenberg eBook of Michelangelo, by Estelle M. Hurll.