History
During 1508-1512 Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. He persuaded Pope Julius the second to let him cover the roof with an elaborate scheme of Creation, The Fall of Man, the genealogy of Christ, and the Promise of Salvation through the prophets.
The composition stretched over five hundred square meters of the ceiling. The Creation of Adam is from the Biblical narrative of creation from the Book of Genesis. The painting is 280 cm x 570 cm, and it was completed in 1512.
Composition
God in The Creation of Adam is represented as a white-bearded elderly caucasian man who is wrapped in a cloak. Adam, on the other hand, is utterly nude. God from the right corner is looking at Adam, who is in the left corner lower than God. His left hand is stretched out to reach God's right hand. Their fingers are not touching. The picture gives the impression that God and Adam are not on the same level. Behind God, there are twelve figures. Many scholars believe that these figures represent Eve and unborn children of hers and Adam's.
Analysis
Different people analyze this artwork differently. Let's look at the center of the painting, where Adam's and God's hands almost touch. Adam looks up to God, and He seems calm and patient, his hand is relaxed, stretched out to reach God, but passive and emotionless. God, on the other hand, is full of enthusiasm, he reaches Adam with excitement, and his eyes are lightening up. His hand is stressed out, and his index finger is about to touch Adam.
The background of God looks like the human brain. Many people think that in this scene, God is giving sense and free will to Adam and humanity.
What if, this scene is not about uniting, but letting go. Then we can see that one who is letting go of the other one is Adam. He is calm, while God is trying to keep in touch with him. Some people think that in this scene, Michelangelo decided to present humankind's independence from God.