Sistine Chapel Ceiling: Creation of Adam 1510

No points for naming this painting! ‘The Creation of Adam’ (or ‘Creazione di Adamo’ in Italian) by Michelangelo is the most famous fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. It’s one of the most replicated religious paintings of all time. ✝️ The Sistine Chapel was built between 1473 and 1481 at the heart of the Vatican City in Rome – the official residence of the Catholic Pope. The chapel recently served as the location of the Conclave, the process by which members of the church elect a new pope. ️ It took Michelangelo approximately four years, between 1508 and 1512, to complete the entire ceiling. ‘The Creation of Adam’ alone required 16 whole days! This iconic painting retells the Christian story of human creation as it appears in the Book of Genesis. God can be seen on the right side, represented as an elderly man with a white beard to suggest wisdom. His arm is outstretched towards the naked figure of Adam, the Biblical first man. This represents God transferring the spark of life. ️ Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564) was an Italian artist who exemplifies the High Renaissance. He completed hundreds of sketches and preliminary studies for this ceiling fresco. The two main figures of God and Adam are painted with extreme anatomical accuracy. Take a close look at Adam’s torso; his abdominal muscles are slightly twisted as he reaches out to touch God’s finger. Michelangelo was so obsessed with achieving bodily realism that he actually studied the muscle composition of corpses! The ceiling of the famous ceiling stands at 21 metres high. Scaffolding was erected to allow Michelangelo to paint onto the plaster. He would have had to paint with his head tilted back (ouch!), while his assistants climbed the scaffolding to fetch materials and mix pigments. Between five and six million people visit the Sistine Chapel every year… that’s around 23,000 every single day! Photography is strictly forbidden inside, and there are thorough security checks using metal detectors. Visitors are also asked to stay absolutely silent.