Object Annotation 3

The Creation of Adam Michelangelo (1475-1564) Ceiling Fresco painting made from 1508-1512 Currently on display in the Sistine Chapel ceiling

Context: This fresco was made during the Renaissance in order to show the Creation of Adam. During the Renaissance, the portrayal of religious events were very popular and was often used in order to show the virtuousness of humanity and their divinity amongst nature. Though the sense of touch was thought of in the sense of lust or desire this was not all it was limited to. According to Sharon Assaf, the sense of touch was also linked with virtue as touch could be used in the pursuit of virtuous acts (Assaf, 75-76). The virtuousness (or lack thereof) of touch became a studied topic especially during a time period where the virtue and dignity of man and how to achieve it was highly studied and sought after.

Subject: The subject of this fresco is God giving life to Adam. Through this moment we can see the Renaissance ideals for touch as desire and virtue appear. Though God gives Adam life by touching him we never actually see the touch on the fresco as God and Adam's finger remain separated. The idea of near touch gives a sense of desire as according to Desiderio and Diletto, the distance between 2 people and their touch creates a sense of desire (Desiderio, 313-318). This desire can be encapsulated as Adams desire to live and Gods desire to create life. The virtuousness of humanity and touch can also be seen as humanity is created by God infusing us with life through touch. Michelangelo here perfectly encapsulates how touch can be seen and the debate between what touch represented during the Renaissance.

Style: The style of the painting is dramatic like many other theologian arts but also very realistic as Michelangelo extensively studied human biology in order to portray Adam and God. However the most important stylistic choice is where the fresco was made. The Fresco was painted on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel, the cracks on the ceiling are visible in the fresco. In order to look at the fresco if you were to go to the Sistine Chapel is to look directly up. This emphasizes the divinity of the subject shown in the fresco as in order to see it, you must look towards the heavens. That in conjunction with the realism of the characters and the dramaticism of the theologian characters, portrays the creation of humanity as a divine act and humans as blessed by God. This helps lend credence to the idea of the divinity of man which was so important to Renaissance ideas.