Sacred Biblical History: The Creation of Adam and the Book of Genesis
Genesis, the beginning. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. This sacred biblical history from the Old Testament is captured in the Genesis creation narrative. According to the record, the work represents the beginning of the world and the creation of humanity.
The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo
The Creation of Adam (Italian: Creazione di Adamo), also known as The Creation of Man, is a fresco painting by Italian artist Michelangelo, which forms part of the Sistine Chapel's ceiling, painted c. 1508–1512. It illustrates the Biblical creation narrative from the Book of Genesis in which God gives life to Adam, the first man. Michelangelo's Creation of Adam is one of the most replicated religious paintings of all time. The fresco is part of a complex scheme and is chronologically the fourth in the series of panels depicting episodes from Genesis. In the artwork, God (right) is depicted as a white-bearded man who gives life to the first human figure.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Artist | Michelangelo |
| Year | c. 1512 |
| Type | Fresco |
| Medium | Ceiling plaster |
| Dimensions | 280 cm × 570 cm (9 ft 2 in × 18 ft 8 in) |
| Location | Sistine Chapel, Vatican City |
The Composition of the Sistine Chapel Ceiling
Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel; the work took approximately four years to complete (1508–1512). The composition stretches over 45 ft. × 128 ft. (more than 500 square metres) of ceiling and contains over 300 figures. At its centre are nine episodes from the Book of Genesis, divided into three groups:
- God's creation of the world;
- God's creation of man and his fall from God's grace;
- The state of humanity and sin as represented by Noah and his family.
Between (top and bottom respectively) The Creation of Eve and Separation of Land and Water this fresco can be seen. Michelangelo persuaded Pope Julius to give him a free hand and proposed a complex scheme representing the Creation, the Fall of Man, the Promise of Salvation through the prophets, and the genealogy of Christ.
Prophets and Sibyls
On the pendentives supporting the ceiling are painted twelve men and women who prophesied the coming of Jesus. These include:
- Seven prophets of Israel (Joël, Ezekiel, Jonah, Daniel, Jeremiah, Zechariah, and Isaiah);
- Five Sibyls (Erythraean, Delphic, Libyan, Cumaean, and Persian), who were prophetic women of the Classical world.
The work is part of a larger scheme of decoration within the chapel which represents much of the doctrine of the Catholic Church. Among the most famous paintings on the ceiling are The Creation of Adam, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the Deluge, the Prophet Jeremiah and the Cumaean Sibyl.