REVIEW OF “THE CREATION OF ADAM” IN TERMS OF THE RENAISSANCE BEAUTY CRITERIA OF WESTERN ART

Description - Creazione di Adamo, Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, 1511, 280 cm x 570 cm, Sistine Chapel, Vatican. REVIEW OF “THE CREATION OF ADAM” IN TERMS OF THE RENAISSANCE BEAUTY CRITERIA OF WESTERN ART In this article, we will review how Michelangelo's "The Creation of Adam" painting represents beauty by considering the beauty criteria and philosophy of Western art in the Renaissance Period. However, before explaining why this fresco painting is beautiful, it is necessary to address the understanding of beauty in the Renaissance Period of Western art and philosophy. Renaissance artists were greatly influenced by the ancient Greek philosophers' perception of beauty and re-adapted the depictions of men and women under the concept of "classical ideal" in the Renaissance. In ancient Greece, beauty was associated with the golden ratio and the closer a work of art or architectural work was to the golden ratio, the more beautiful it was considered. Furthermore, proportion and symmetry played an important role in defining an artwork as beautiful. Moreover, Plato based his understanding of beauty on the relationship of the work with the right proportion while Aristotle associated his understanding of beauty with the size and order of the work. In addition, the harmony of the pieces of the artwork was among the criteria that affect beauty. Thus, the concepts of the golden ratio, harmony, proportion, and symmetry, which have been effective in defining beauty since Ancient Greece, continued their effects in the Renaissance Age as well. From Ancient Greece to the early Christian period and the Renaissance, beauty was thought to be an objective and physical property while the view that beauty was in the nature of the object was defended. However, during the process, the idea that beauty was formed in the eye of the beholder prevailed (Tekel, 2015: 150).

Firstly, the golden ratio, which Renaissance artists often used when painting religious or mythological figures to draw attention to flawless beauty, is also present in "The Creation of Adam”. As a result of the research, it was determined that Michelangelo had used the golden ratio in the space between the index finger of Adam standing on the left side of the picture and the index finger of God depicted on the right side of the picture, which was one of the beauty ideals of both Ancient Greece and the Renaissance. Thus, we can say it meets the golden ratio criteria perfectly. Also, the use of the golden ratio in such a painting draws attention to how flawless the figures are.

Secondly, we can understand from both the colours and the context that the work also meets the harmony criteria. For instance, the red background with God and the angels approaching Adam resembles the human brain, which shows how God and his angels are depicted in Adam's mind. To give another example, the slightly pale tones of the colours used may also represent Adam's exhausted gaze before he is created, although it may be due to the lapse of time. However, although the previous interpretation cannot be fully proven, we can still say that the blue, white, green, and other colour tones used in the painting are in harmony with each other. At the same time, the movements of the angels, God, and Adam figures, which are depicted as if they were moving towards each other, and the facial expressions just before the moment of creation, show that the parts that make up the whole picture are in harmony with each other. In addition, although it contrasts with Adam's exhaustion and God's mighty stance, the fact that Adam and God's fingers seem to complement each other shows that there is harmony in the painting and that the painting also meets the harmony beauty criterion.

Thirdly, since the various organs of the figures in the painting are depicted in an anatomically appropriate proportion, we can say that enormous proportion and symmetry are used in the work.For example, as claimed by Seçkin and Bülbül (2020), in a study conducted in 2010, it was explained that the brain stem, temporal lobe parts, medulla and other parts were seen under God's chin, on his neck. Moreover, an enormous symmetry has been used in the work so that it can be divided in the middle with a diagonal line from the top left to the bottom. The symmetry here separates Adam, who is the embodiment of the Garden of Eden on the left, from God, who will give life to him in the Garden of Eden, on the right. Furthermore, it also has a symbolic meaning, as the hands reaching out to each other symbolize a miraculous life and just before the union of the earthly and celestial worlds, which shows that Michelangelo created the work by attaching symbolic meanings even to symmetry. Another factor that draws attention to the proportion of the painting is that the space between Adam and God's fingers is one of the main focal points in the painting, which is supported by the golden ratio.Additionally, Michelangelo's ability to paint the moment before the fingers of God and Adam touch each other makes the viewers feel that a miracle will happen soon, but this work captures the moment before the miracle. Last but not least, the muscles and body lines of the figures are not only detailed in perfect proportion but also the expressions and movements of the figures are drawn expertly enough to make the viewers feel as if they were inside the painting. Adam is depicted with his exhausted gaze as he is innocent and has not found life yet while God is depicted strong enough to symbolize his power with his harsh facial features and body language.

In sum, Michelangelo met the golden ratio, which was the first of the Renaissance beauty criteria of Western art, in "The Creation of Adam" while painting the fingers of Adam and God that were about to touch each other. Michelangelo used the second criterion, harmony while painting the relationship between colours, contexts, and figures in the work.The last criterion, proportion and symmetry, was utilized in the anatomy of the figures in the work, their facial expressions, their correct positions, and the diagonal symmetrical division of the picture into two. Therefore, we can describe "The Creation of Adam" as a beautiful fresco painting since it successfully meets all the beauty criteria of the Renaissance that are golden ratio, harmony, proportion, and symmetry. REFERENCES SEÇKİN, F., & BÜLBÜL, M. (2020). İnsan Anatomisinde Altın Oranlama ve Sanat Eserlerindeki Karşılaştırmalı Analizi. Temel Eğitim, 2(4), 11. TEKEL, A. (2015). Estetik Yargı ve Estetik Yargıyı Etkileyen Faktörler. Gazi Üniversitesi Sanat ve Tasarım Dergisi, 16, 149-157.