A Favorite Painting

The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo

My favorite painting, or, at least, one that is dear to my heart, is Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam.  Though it is merely an excerpt of a grand-scale masterpiece, it has held a considerable amount of value in my own life.  In all honesty, this was probably the first painting I ever knew by name and artist, which is no doubt due to the way I was introduced to it.  My oldest sister and I were fifteen years apart and, as I am the baby of the family, she was always my number one role model.  So when she came back from graduate school in England with a gift for me, a t-shirt featuring The Creation of Adam, it obviously became my most prized possession.  Even though it was two sizes too big for me, I wore it day and night.  I was one hundred percent the cool kid with the cool, artsy t-shirt from the cool older sister in elementary school (though there was some controversy amongst my 2nd-grade peers considering the nudity).  Now, as I am older, I appreciate the painting for more than just its sentimental value.  However, as my oldest sister and mentor passed away several years ago, that particular aspect remains the foremost reason for my reverence.  But on to the Horowitz reading....  The color palette of this particular painting is rather subdued.  The soft, calming sort of dull hues create a sense of delicate antiquity that is fitting in regards to the scene depicted.  The least imposing of all the colors used, the blues and grays of the sky and yonder mountain, serve to bring the more vibrant scene of creation forward, emphasizing its importance.  In terms of volume, the solid forms illustrated by Michelangelo in this work are very full and round.  There are no harsh or angular elements in the serenely cherubic exchange.  In the bodies especially, the roundness is created by soft shifts in color, hue, and light value.  The focal point of the image is undoubtedly the almost-touching fingertips of Adam and the Creator.  The compositional lines created by their outstretched arms, as well as its central location, draw the viewer's eye to this most important of symbols.  It is not only the connection between the two symmetrical sections of the painting, but the divine and perpetual connection between man and Christ.  Although I have never seen The Creation of Adam in person, I very much hope to admire it from the floors of the Sistine Chapel in the future--sporting my favorite shirt, of course.