‘Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine’
‘The Creation of Adam’ and the master artist as creator
Art lovers who have never envisioned God as a nude will find food for thought in visiting the Muscarelle Museum of Art’s exhibit, “Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine” (1508-1512) and the “Last Judgment” (1536-1541). Among Michelangelo’s 24 rarely displayed drawings is one relating to the most famous fresco, “The Creation of Adam” – God’s right arm and finger intently stretching out toward Adam.
Significant sketches offer insight into Michelangelo’s creative process: In red chalk he drew a study of the Creator, focusing on the anatomy of the legs, abdomen and torso. While – as the curatorial notes say, “the final fresco depicts God in a robe, these early studies emphasize physical strength, suggesting Michelangelo may have originally conceived the Creator as nude.” The comments conclude, “Alongside this, he sketched two delicate studies of legs, possibly for the ‘Ignudi,’ the nude figures surrounding the minor scenes of the Sistine Ceiling.”
Based on 15 years of scholarship by Muscarelle’s Curator of Special Projects Adriano Marinazzo, the exhibition highlights evocative theories about Michelangelo’s work, including a comparison between “The Creation of Adam” and a self-portrait, which suggests the artist may have used himself as a model for the Creator. Among other similarities is the crossed legs’ position of both figures. The artistic master was a devout Catholic, recreating the Master in his Sistine work.
Surprises in the exhibition include a sonnet by Michelangelo in his elegant handwriting – and a video creating a 3D model illustrating the scaffolding process. Marinazzo said in a “W&M News” interview, “Italian masters were both artists and scientists. … In my class, students learn to do the same with today’s technology.”
Marinazzo addressed a touring group, “Imagine stretching yourself on scaffolding – high above the floor – to transfer your drawings from paper to wet plaster. Michelangelo did that – transferred those drawings to create the frescoes.”
In addition to the masterpiece drawings created by Michelangelo for the ceiling and the “Last Judgment,” the exhibition includes engravings, lithographs and other materials showcasing the well-known paintings and the chapel throughout the centuries; in all, the exhibition features 39 works.
‘This Is Not My Art’
In 1508, Michelangelo famously told Pope Julius II, for whom the Sistine ceiling was executed, “This is not my art,” because he saw himself as a sculptor, not a painter. The pope had initially requested a simple geometric composition with the twelve apostles, but Michelangelo persuaded him to adopt a more ambitious vision, creating an illusionistic framework to surround the sacred scenes from Genesis.
Transforming his two-dimensional design for the Sistine ceiling into three-dimensional architecture was a feat of science as well as art. Michelangelo transformed a nearly flat ceiling, creating a dynamic visual illusion that reaches beyond the physical.
The experience begins with a starry sky, recalling Piermatte d’Amelia’s 15th-century Sistine Chapel ceiling and transitioning to Michelangelo’s Renaissance blue sky. The sequence culminates in a flood of light, echoing the description by Michelangelo’s biographer, Giorgio Vasari, of how the fresco illuminated the world. The creative process’s full immersion of viewers offers a spiritual as well as artistic journey.
If you go
‘Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine’
March 6 to May 28, 2025
Muscarelle Museum of Art at William & Mary, Williamsburg
Timed tickets ($15), museum@wm.edu, 757-221-2700
The Martha Wren Briggs Center for the Visual Arts
The expanded Muscarelle Museum of Art, which opened Feb. 8, 2025, has – in the process of tripling its former exhibition space – elevated the level and caliber of visual arts engagement among students, faculty, and the community. The front courtyard provides a welcoming gathering place, leading into the museum’s light-filled atrium, event hall, café/catering space and museum shop. The grand staircase leads to second-floor galleries. Favorites in the collection include works ranging from Rembrandt to Georgia O’Keefe and Andy Warhol.
