Creation of Adam

There are iconic images and then there are truly iconic images. Among these last, we find The Creation of Adam, painted on the ceiling of the Sixteenth Chapel in the Vatican around 1511 by Michelangelo. The painting depicts God stretching out his right arm towards Adam, to relay to him the spark of life. Adam himself is holding out his left arm towards God in a pose that mirrors that of his creator, thus underlining that he is created in Gods image. The story behind the image is told in The Book of Genesis, where the father breathes life into man.
 
While the image overall is famous, the center part with their arms where their fingers almost touch is iconic. To many people all over the world, these two stretched arms with fingers nearly touching is in fact The Creation of Adam. The fame of this single iconic image has also translated into the world of modern culture, where the image has been featured in everything from Family Guy to the movie poster of E.T.

The highly original depiction in The Creation of Adam of the life giving moment between God and man has been analyzed for centuries. Among the details discussed is whether the shape behind God represents the hum brain, whether the green scarf represents a newly cut umbilical cord and more. What can clearly be said is that The Creation of Adam represents an artistic achievement by Michelangelo and that the painting remains as relevant as ever, 500 years after it was completed. A true iconic masterpiece indeed.