The British Museum's collections, £16.99
Explore / Online Tours
Study for Adam, c1511, red chalk
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.