wellcorps.com News To Use: The Creation
An Interpretation Of Michelangelo’s Creation Of Adam Based On Neuroanatomy By Frank Lynn Meshberger, MD
The Creation of Adam (1508-1512) on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel has long been recognized as one of the world’s great art treasures. In 1990 Frank Lynn Meshberger, M.D. described what millions had overlooked for centuries — an anatomically accurate image of the human brain was portrayed behind God. On close examination, borders in the painting correlate with sulci in the inner and outer surface of the brain, the brain stem, the basilar artery, the pituitary gland and the optic chiasm. God’s hand does not touch Adam, yet Adam is already alive as if the spark of life is being transmitted across a synaptic cleft. Below the right arm of God is a sad angel in an area of the brain that is sometimes activated on PET scans when someone experiences a sad thought. God is superimposed over the limbic system, the emotional center of the brain and possibly the anatomical counterpart of the human soul. God’s right arm extends to the prefrontal cortex, the most creative and most uniquely human region of the brain. The brilliant Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo After the divine part has well %XRQDUURWL SDLQWHG PDJQLÀFHQW IUHVFRHV RQ WKH FHLOLQJ RI conceived WKH 9DWLFDQ·V 6LVWLQH &KDSHO ODERULQJ IURP WR Man’s face and gesture, soon both &RPPLVVLRQHGE\3RSH-XOLXV,,0LFKHODQJHORSHUIRUPHGWKLV mind and hand, ZRUN KLPVHOI ZLWKRXW DVVLVWDQFH 6FKRODUV GHEDWH ZKHWKHU :LWKDFKHDSPRGHOÀUVWDWWKHLU KH KDG DQ\ JXLGDQFH IURP WKH &KXUFK LQ WKH VHOHFWLRQ RI command, WKH VFHQHV DQG ZKDW PHDQLQJ WKH VFHQHV ZHUH WR FRQYH\ Give life to stone, but this is not ,QWKHIUHVFRWUDGLWLRQDOO\FDOOHGWKHCreation of Adam, but achieved which might be more aptly titled the Endowment of Adam, I By skill. In painting, too, this is EHOLHYHWKDW0LFKHODQJHORHQFRGHGDVSHFLDOPHVVDJH,WLVD perceived: PHVVDJHFRQVLVWHQWZLWKWKRXJKWVKHH[SUHVVHGLQKLVVRQQHWV Only after the intellect has planned Supreme in sculpture and painting, he understood that his The best and highest, can the ready VNLOOZDVLQKLVEUDLQDQGQRWLQKLVKDQGV+HEHOLHYHGWKDW hand WKH´GLYLQHSDUWµZH´UHFHLYHµIURP*RGLVWKH´LQWHOOHFWµ Take up the brush and try all things ,QWKHIROORZLQJVRQQHW0LFKHODQJHORH[SODLQVKRZKHFUHDWHV received. VFXOSWXUHDQGSDLQWLQJDQGKRZ,EHOLHYH*RGKLPVHOIJDYH PDQWKHJLIWRILQWHOOHFW1: 7KHVFXOSWXUHDQGSDLQWLQJRI0LFKHODQJHORUHÁHFWWKHJUHDW NQRZOHGJH RI DQDWRP\ WKDW KH DFTXLUHG E\ SHUIRUPLQJ GLVVHFWLRQVRIWKHKXPDQERG\+LVH[SHULHQFHLQGLVVHFWLRQ is documented in Lives of the Artists, written by his FRQWHPSRUDU\*HRUJLR9DVDUL9DVDULVD\V´)RUWKHFKXUFK RI 6DQWR 6SLULWR LQ )ORUHQFH 0LFKHODQJHOR PDGH D FUXFLÀ[ RI ZRRG ZKLFK ZDV SODFHG DERYH WKH OXQHWWH RI WKH KLJK DOWDUZKHUHLWVWLOOLV+HPDGHWKLVWRSOHDVHWKHSULRUZKR SODFHGURRPVDWKLVGLVSRVDOZKHUH0LFKHODQJHORYHU\RIWHQ XVHGWRÁD\GHDGERGLHVLQRUGHUWRGLVFRYHUWKHVHFUHWVRI DQDWRP\µ
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References 1.7XVLDQDL-The Complete Poems of Michelangelo1HZ