Anatomy at work
The Creation of Man by Michelangelo
Although Adam is granted the supreme gift of life from God, Eve and all the souls on God’s mind are present from the beginning of creation, as seen on the right side of the panel. Before coming to Rome to sculpt and paint for Pope Julius II, Michelangelo learned his anatomy in a unique way, as he was able to study cadavers so that the human form he painted was all the more accurate. The group of figures with God and Eve reminds some people of the cross section of a brain as well as a heart. Michelangelo uses his knowledge of anatomy and integrates it into his work in a way that is most fitting and profoundly symbolic. Isn’t consciousness the most remarkable gift that a creator can give its creation?
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