My view on this is that perhaps Michelangelo, an incredibly religious but also scientifically aware man, was trying to show that intelligent human life was only truly created when we were first able to think. The brain is the most powerful organ of the body, and without being self-aware of our own intelligence, can we be conscious human beings? Another question that could be raised is whether the depiction of God as a human brain could be a metaphor for God, perhaps God himself is only in the minds of humans?
This is not the only time that Michelangelo has represented anatomical images in his paintings. In The Separation of Light from Darkness, another of the frescoes scene in the Sistine Chapel, a ventral view of the brain stem can be seen (Suk and Tamargo 2009, 66:5:851) Aside from the neuroanatomy that is present in many of Michelangelos work on the Sistine Chapel, he also included other parts of the body in his work, God Separating Earth from Waters is believed to show a cross-section of the human kidney, hidden again in the form of God with billowing cloak and crowd of angels. Anatomists have pointed out the similarity of the ureter of the kidney, and also the angels positioning in forming the inner vessels of the organ. (Eknoyan 2000. 1192)
One conclusion we can draw from these hidden images is that Michelangelo was looking for an outlet to showcase his anatomical skills. Many artists at the time were known to practice the dissection of cadavers, but Michelangelo, perhaps not wanting to jeopardise is work with the Vatican, chose not to publish work on the subject. It is said that Michelangelo once dissected the body of a young, rich Florentine, whose family then sought revenge, and we can take this as reason enough for him wishing to keep his work to himself. (ibid) This is in stark contrast to his contemporary Leonardo da Vinci who proudly published his anatomical drawings.
Another point of interest in The Creation of Adam is the well-known reaching of hands. This near-touch between man and his creator is a popular image in our culture and has been for many years, andis perhaps one of the most iconic images of the depiction of the book of Genisis. The near-touch on first viewing suggests that the act of God giving full life to Adam is just about to occur, as though Michelangelo captured the moment just second before. Many scholars, however, have different ideas on this. Perhaps the first to comment was Fuseli, who in 1801suggested that God was issuing an ‘immortal spark … from his extended arm, electrifying the new-formed being’ (Fueseli 1801, p421) This suggests that the moment of creation may have already occurred, as the connection of God and Adam was sent across the air in a life-giving spark of electricity. During the 1800s this theory became incredibly popular, perhaps due to the idea of electricity as a life-giving force and popularised by authors such as Mary Shelly with her 1818 novel Frankenstein. It is now up to us to discuss why Michelangelo might have created this tenuous link between man and God. Lubbock comments that it brings new meaning to the image, as it represents the moment after creation, and creates an idea of a ‘hopeful beginning of a relationship’ between man and his creator. (Lubbock 2007.) On further thought I have come to a conclusion that perhaps Michelangelo was making another nod to the anatomical message of his painting. The near-connection of the creator and Adam could represent the synapses of the brain and body, which link the mind itself to the physical form, thus showing how God may exist only in the mind of the faithful, yet His presence affects many followers personal actions.
After much research I have unveiled just some of the theories surrounding this painting. It is clear that Michelangelo had coded secret images into his paintings for only the enlightened to understand. Perhaps he intended to make a point about the connection of the mind to the body in the metaphor of God connecting to Adam. I think perhaps this view is rather atheist, and we must consider that Michelangelo was a religious man. On this thought I have concluded that he merely intended to showcase his anatomical knowledge to those who were capable of seeing it, and in the process get the best of both worlds, being viewed as a influential artist of the Vatican, and also an intelligent anatomist to the scientific world.
Bibliography
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Condivi, Ascanio. 1553. Vita di Michelagnolo Buonarroti. Milano 1964.
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Meshberger, Frank. 1990. An Interpretation of Michelangelo's Creation of Adam Based on Neuroanatomy. The Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Suk, Ian and Tamargo, Rafael. 2009. Concealed Neuroanatomy in Michelangelo’s Separation of Light From Darkness in the Sistine Chapel. Neurosurgery 66:851-861, 2010. DOI: 10.1227/01.NEU.0000368101.34523.E1
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Eknoyan, Garabed. 1999. Michelangelo: Art, Anatomy and the Kidney. Kidney International, Vol.57. Published 2000 by the International Society of Nephrology.
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Barry, Opie, Fuseli. 1801. Lectures on Painting by the Royal Academicians. Edited by Ralph N. Wornum 1848. London Henry G. Bohn.
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Lubbock, Tom. 2007. Buonarroti, Michelangelo: The Creation of Adam 1510. Independent’s Great Art Series. 5 January. http://www.independant.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/greatartists/buonarroti-michelangelo-the-creation-of-adam-1510-744396.html
