On the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, anchored among eight other frescoes, is a particularly famous work of art, a pictorial guide to the Gospel message. This fourth panel tells the story of Adam's creation, a pivotal event in the book of Genesis that should have sparked life and marked the beginning of humanity. Although this scene was a popular choice for artists wishing to contribute to the already vast heritage of Renaissance religious art, Michelangelo's Creation of Adam remains one of the best-known interpretations. De facto, artists liked to include religious symbolism in their art and Michelangelo was no exception. Through the use of various symbolic motifs, Michelangelo shows us his perception of a perfect birth and introduces the notion of terribilità: the expression of the power of God as a central theme in the iconography of the entire ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but especially in its representation of The Creation of Adam. Contemporaries of the 16th century liked to describe terribilità as the quality of inspiring terror, awe, or a feeling of the sublime through art. To begin, it is important to note that the word terribilità was not part of the artistic language before Michelangelo. The first to describe his frescoes as terribilità was Giorgio Vasari, an Italian painter and writer who wrote a collection of artist biographies. Vasari implies that artists, like God, possess the Divine Manu, divine hands, capable of creating as well as destroying. Michelangelo would therefore be the counterpart of an angry God who inspires terror, as he himself inspires terror through his art. It is worth noting that in the context of his painting of the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo's inspiration for creating such art came from his own vengeful anger against Pope Julius II, who was imitating God himself through his outburst of anger. By defiance, Michelangelo should have transposed the anger of the Pope onto the figure of God to mock him. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay In the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the Creation of Adam is a prime example of God's authoritative will and power the Father, expressed by gestures, expressions and even proportions of the bodies of the characters. The Creator seems to fly across the painting, each of his gestures an order, each moment an explosion of power which culminates in this scene from The Creation of Adam, further emphasizing the notion of terribilità. Adam, resurrected by God the Creator, leans on one elbow, his uncertain gaze meets God's resolute gaze in a silent exchange of will and power. The small space separating God and Adam's index finger symbolizes the materialization of the difference between the nature of the earthly universe and that of the divine world. This space, however small it may be in the painting, remains symbolically immeasurable and can never be filled or crossed. We can also notice a marked contrast between the hands of Adam and God, the former being quite soft and the latter imparting real vigor and vitality. The finger command demonstrates that the gift of life remains the founding act of religion that only God can possess. Through his outstretched arm, God communicates his own spiritual and physical energy to his creation. The passage of the spark of life from the Creator to Creation marks an important turning point in Genesis and all the scenes which follow this representation of The Creation of Adam seem to be the consequence of this fatal act, from the creation of Eve to his expulsion. of Adam and Eve, from Eden to the Great Flood. These scenes are all the result of God's wrath, in which the Creator becomes a destroyer. THE/1483492