" The Hand of God" is perhaps the most enduring of Michelangelo's paintings. Almost five centuries later this image remains prevalent and is still being used in advering and on posters and T-shirts. This is particularly true of the detail that shows the two hands as they reach towards each other, tantalizingly close, almost touching. The panel illustrates the moment when life is instilled in Adam by God. Michaelangelo has placed the central focus upon the hands of God and of Adam, not just by the placement of the figures, but also by the two outstretched arms. Adam, who is only half-sitting up against the mountainside, seems weak and lanquid, with his arm restin upon one bent knee as if if is too heavy for him to hold up without some support. The hand is limp, the fingers are drooping as if they are without energy, awaiting the vital spark of life.Michelangelo Buonarroti
As sculptor, painter, architect, poet and engineer. Michelangelo stands as the archetype of the Renaissance genius, with a talent that transcends time and continues to influence and inspire contemporay artists. Michelangelo began his career in Florence in 1488, as an apprentice in the studio of Domenico Ghirlandaio. He quickly moved to the Medici Court of Florence where he gained an appreciation for classical sculpture and humanist philosophy that shaped and influence his work. After the death of his patron, Lorenzo de Medici, the artist traveled to Bologna and Rome, continually refining his brilliant technique and establishing his reputation as a dominant force in the arts.
