Art Essay Sample: Interpretation of the Painting Title

The title of the painting, The Creation of Adam, enables the audience to understand that it depicts the Biblical creation theory. The title also enables the audience to interpret the images of people that include God, Adam and Angels (with and without wings). God is represented as a muscular and elderly man, which according to me shows that God is a wise being. Moreover, Adam is represented as a muscular young man hence supporting the Genesis Creation story stating that Man was created in the image of God. God is represented wearing clothes, angels floating in the sky and man lying on the ground to show the hierarchy of power. The hierarchy of power begins from God, downwards to angels, then to man where man is given a responsibility of taking care of the earth.

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Elements of Work in the Painting

How is line employed in the work?

Organic line is used to create body figures of God, Adam and the angels. The organic line also creates Gods robe, red scarf and earth.

Does it seem to regulate or order the composition?

The line seems to regulate the composition

Does it seem to fragment the work?

The line fragments the work where every being including Adam, God and angels have an assigned task. The angels support God. God creates the man while the man takes care of the earth.

Is it consistent with traditional laws of perspective or does it violate them?

This painting is consistent with the perspective of paining during the Renaissance period in Italy.

What is the relation of shape to space in the work?

The scarf in the background of God and his angels resembles a human brain to show command and intelligence.

How do light and dark function in the work? Is there a great deal of tonal contrast, or is it held to a minimum?

The light and dark contrasts heaven and earth. The earth is represented with a dark color in the background while the heaven is represented with bright white colors in the background.

What is the predominant color scheme of the work? Are complementary or analogous colors employed?

The colors used in the painting are warm (brown, red and yellow) to represent the skin tone of God, Adam and the angels, and the cold (blue and green) to represent the earth, sky and scarf.

What other elements seem important? Is your attention drawn to the works texture? Does time seem an important factor in your experience of the work?

The painting also draws the attention of the audience to the texture evident in the cloth, scarf and the bodies of God, man and the angels.

Principles of Design used to organize composition

Is there significant use of visual rhythm and repetition of elements?

The image of angel is used repetitively although they are depicted taking different positions. The inclination of God and Adam is a depict a communication rhythm between them.

Is the composition balanced? Symmetrically? Asymmetrically?

The painting depicts a Principle of Organization that included line, unity, balance and emphasis.

Do the works various elements seem proportional, and how does the question of scale affect your perception?

The body figures of God and Adam are proportional. Two angels are below God, supporting angels, earth, heaven and Adam while other two are above them.

Does the composition seem unified or not?

God and Adam represent unification of the heaven and earth. Notably, God is depicted in the portrait reaching out to Adam while Adam is depicted extending his index finger towards God.

Has the artists choice of medium played a role in the presentation of the various elementsand their organization or design?

The Fresco painting depicts the connection existing between the Biblical scripture of creation and the beliefs of the 16th Century Roman Catholic.

What is the meaning of the work? What is its content, as opposed to its subject matter?

The Creation of Adam painting by Michelangelo Buonarroti creates a comparison between divine energy depicted by Gods radiate and illusionistic posture, and the human lassitude depicted by Adams slothfulness. The close contact of Adams and Gods fingers shows the transfer of the spark of life from God to Adam. Gods finger is stretched fully to depict his power and energy while Adams finger is limp to show his weakness before God.

The painting contains an element of symbolism. The first instance of symbolism is the shadowy shape that represent the breath of life from God. A shape that resembles a human brain parts including the cerebrum, frontal lobe, pituitary gland and the brain stem surrounds the image of God. Image of God and his angels form an ellipse that is a symbol of the cosmic egg.

The Creation of Adam painting showed the success of the High Renaissance movement in Italy. The success of Michelangelo in his painting depicted the success of fresco painting medium. Fresco painting media was an important success steps towards the implementation of the political and religious High Renaissance strategies in Italy. I feel that Michelangelos The Creation of Adam fresco-based painting strengthened the Catholic Religion by uniting the Vatican and the Biblical Genesis Creation scripture.