The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo Buonarroti

Table of Contents

Art Creation and Reflection
Inspiration Piece
My Art Piece
Connection
References

Art Creation and Reflection

Since ancient times, people have created art and marveled over it. The variety of art mediums allows every person to find his or her own favorite genre and explore the works of different artists proficient in it. As for me, painting is the most graceful kind of art through which creators can reflect all the specter of emotions and generate an in-depth reaction of the audience. The variety of painting styles and techniques makes it possible for every person to select their favorites. A famous and talented Italian artist, Michelangelo Buonarroti, created many masterpieces, one of which I will analyze in this paper.

Inspiration Piece

The inspiration piece is Michelangelo Buonarrotis The creation of Adam (Figure 1) (Buonarroti, 1508-1512). This image was created in 1508-1512 as one in a series of frescoes to decorate the Sistine Chapels ceiling (Michelangelo Buonarroti, n.d.). As well as other frescoes, The creation of Adam was commissioned by Pope Julius II. The painting represents one of Genesis scenes, in which God strikes life in Adam by pointing his finger at the first man. By painting Gods hair, beard, and clothes as blowing, Michelangelo reached the effect of dynamism. The creation of Adam is one of the most widely recognized and popular works by Buonarroti. The fresco is placed on the Sistine Chapels ceiling among other ones depicting various Genesis episodes.

My Art Piece

Buonarrotis painting made me think of the great creators every person encounters in his or her life except for God. For me, teachers are the most representative examples of this type. I decided to show how a painter instructs a young child to make the first brushstrokes and by doing so, ignites the creative young mind. Thus, I called my drawing The creation of an artist (Figure 2). I used a pencil and a piece of paper to create the image.

Connection

The link between the two pieces is in their thematic similarity. Although my piece does not resemble the inspiration piece much, I instilled the idea of the creation in it. Specifically, I meant to show how under the guidance of a talented teacher, a pupil starts her first steps in art, just like Adam is given the sparkle of life by God. Although the two characters in my image do not touch each other, the implication is that the brush of the teacher ignites the pupils one, thus working its magic and making the child understand how wonderful life can become once she adds some creativity to it.

The two pieces were created with the use of different mediums. In my opinion, the medium impacts the viewer experiences to a great extent. The more colors, structures, and shades are employed by the artist, the more feelings and thoughts the work generates in the viewer. However, even when employing only a pencil, one can convey a deep meaning. The formal elements of design in the two images are entirely different. Probably the only similarity is the line: it is curved in both images. Other design elements are much more intense in the inspiration piece: it has a rich color scheme and well-designed composition. The texture of Buonarrotis painting is rich, giving the illusion of a 3-D image. Meanwhile, the texture, composition, and color scheme in my drawing are plain. Still, the very idea of my image was greatly inspired by Buonarrotis masterpiece, and the idea I had is fully reflected in the piece.