AP Art History PowerPoint Project by Daniel Martinez d_ Michelangelo_Creation of Adam_Martinez

100 WELL KNOWN WORKS OF ART Interpreted Using The Feldman Model of Formal Analysis #4 Michelangelo, Creation of Adam

Feldman’s Model of Art Criticism From the work of Edmund Burke Feldman, During the late 1960’s and early 70’s 1. Description- There are angels in the sky surrounding God and Adam as they touch index fingers. 2. Analysis- Focus on the formal aspects of elements of art, principles of design. Michelangelo emphasizes the two fingers of God and Adam by making them smaller than all the other objects on the painting. He uses color to help heighten this effect by choosing primary colors for the bodies, draperies, and piece of land Adam sits on so that they will stand out against the muted hues of the background. 3. Interpretation- Reflects Michelangelo's firmly held belief that the body should be celebrated as a refection of both divine beauty and the beauty of the human soul. 4. Judgment- It generates so much tension and anticipation in the viewer, that it is a favorite with many critics to describe this scene as God imparting the spark of life to the first man. Thus the Creation of Adam encapsulates the Christian culture of man’s relationship with God. In one broad motion, with both arms stretched wide, God creates man and anticipates man’s Savior. Man’s spiritual potential is about to spark in his union with God, but Adam’s future Sin and Fall are already foreseen, and Redemption through Christ is already present.

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni Creation of Adam, 1511, Renaissance Movement, Painting on fresco The Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Italy (15' 9" x 7' 7")

1.DESCRIPTION a. Painting b. Paint on fresco c. 15' 9" x 7' 7" d. God and Adam almost touching fingers- rectangular e. Static f. Planar – on the ceiling of a wall g. Body figures spread out amongst the layout h. Natural elements are present i. White, Red, Green, Yellow Color Scheme j. Realistic texture k. Italy- 1500s (1511 –Vatican City)

2.ANALYSIS a.Depicts the union of God and Adam. b. Emphasis on the distance between objects. c. Stable and mobile composition. d. Open and three- dimensional structural system. e. High contrast and vibrant. f. Open space- depth amongst the objects. g. Movement depicted in the proximity of the. fingers between each other. h. Three dimensional shading. i. Human bodies are disproportional.

3. Interpretation a.It illustrates the biblical creation narrative from the book of genesis in which God breathes life into Adam. b. Reflects Michelangelo’s firmly held belief that the body should be celebrated as a reflection of both divine beauty and the beauty of the human soul. c. “The Creation of Adam encapsulates the Christian story of man’s relationship with God. In one broad motion, with both arms stretched wide, God creates man and anticipates man’s Savior”.

4. Judgment a.What sets this work apart and Makes it worth studying? (Worlds best artist of all time) b. How does this work fit into the context of what came before and after it? (Development Of high renaissance art)(Development Of high renaissance art) c. How have critics, historians, and the public reacted to this work? (Measure of genius)(Measure of genius) d. How has this work changed the way art is viewed? (Famous Paintings)(Famous Paintings)

Many hypotheses have been formulated regarding the identity and meaning of the figures around God. The person protected by God's left arm might be Eve due to the figure's feminine appearance and gaze towards Adam, but was also suggested to be Virgin Mary, Sophia, the personified human soul, or an angel of feminine build. Another point is that Adam's finger and God's finger are not touching. It gives the impression that God, the giver of life, is reaching out to Adam who receives it; they are not on "the same level" as would be two humans shaking hands, for instance. God is depicted as an elderly white-bearded man wrapped in a swirling cloak while Adam, on the lower left, is completely nude. God's right arm is outstretched to impart the spark of life from his own finger into that of Adam, whose left arm is extended in a pose mirroring God's, a reminder that man is created in the image and likeness of God. Khan Academy Video Compare and Contrast

The Reformation was a very violent period in Europe, even family members were often pitted against one another in the wars of religion. Each side, both Catholics and Protestants, were often absolutely certain that they were in the right and that the other side was doing the devil’s work. Summary Renaissance

Interesting Facts About Artist Was born Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simon Michelangelo was less interested in schooling than watching the painters at nearby churches, and drawing what he saw there His works include the "David" and "Pieta" statues and the ceiling paintings of Rome's Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo grew up in Florence in the late 15th century where he studied under Francesco da Urbino. The Deposition (also called the Florence Pietà, the Bandini Pietà or The Lamentation over the Dead Christ) is a marble sculpture by the Italian High Renaissance master Michelangelo. The sculpture, on which Michelangelo worked between 1547 and 1553, depicts four figures – the dead body of Jesus Christ, newly taken down from the Cross, Nicodemus (or possibly Joseph of Arimathea), Mary Magdalene and the Virgin Mary. The sculpture is housed in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo in Florence.

References 1. (Renaissance -Information) End-of-the- Renaissance-and-the-Reformation