tour 3 of 5
Michelangelo
Study for Adam
The Sistine Chapel ceiling was divided into
nine different areas, each retelling stories from the Bible,
including the Creation, the life of Christ, and the Last Judgement
at the end of the
world.
One of the scenes
shows the creation of Adam. Adam is lying on his right side, his
left arm is resting on his left leg and stretching out to receive
life from God. The pose looks natural but in fact it is impossible
to lie like this - have a try yourself and
see.
When he was doing this
sketch, Michelangelo must have already known exactly how the
finished ceiling would look. He has not drawn Adam's head
or hands as these were done extra carefully in their own special
studies.
The drawing uses
deep shading with red chalk to show the muscles on Adam's
chest and stomach. It almost looks like a statue rather than a
painting, and Michelangelo liked to think of himself as a
sculptor.