Please make a special note. The article you are reading is a “primary
source.” A primary source is original research written by the person who conducted it. If someone were to write an article “about” this article that would be considered a secondary
source. Understanding this distinction is very important in academic research.
When you write a critical analysis essay you do not need to be an expert on the topic. Your task is to evaluate what the author has written. For the essay to be interdisciplinary, it must include
more than one discipline. Those disciplines are specified in the instructions below.
THE FIVE-PARAGRAPH ESSAY (INSTRUCTIONS)
When writing this essay,
please use the five-paragraph approach. In this case, each paragraph
should be approximately 100 words long. This is by no means the only formula for writing such essays, but for this assignment, it serves our purposes well. This method consists of:
1.Add a title page with all the information that is highlighted in yellow on the title page of the “APA Sample Paper” that is provided.
2.Do NOT include an “abstract” page. An abstract it not necessary for the purposes of this
essay.
3.PARAGRAPH 1
(100 words) -An introductory paragraph Clearly and concisely states the paper’s purpose, which is engaging, and thought
provoking. Your introductory paragraph should answer these two questions: 1) What is the nature of the work (type, purpose) and what is the primary message(s) of this work?
2) What problems is the author trying to solve and what are the primary issues that the author is addressing?
4.Three evidentiary body paragraphs (paragraphs 2-4). When evaluating this painting there are three major disciplines involved: art, religious studies, and anatomy. Analyze these three disciplines and their role in the painting featuredin the article.
a.PARAGRAPH 2 (100 words) -The Creation of Adam: art
(humanities). Analyze what role the discipline of art plays in this painting.
b.PARAGRAPH 3 (100 words) -Religious studies(humanities). Analyze what role the discipline of religious studies plays in this painting.
c.PARAGRAPH 4 (100 words) -Anatomy (natural sciences). Analyze what role
the discipline of anatomy plays in this painting.
5.PARAGRAPH 5 (100 words) -A conclusion paragraph

2
In your conclusion, describe what you have learned that you did not know before and
perhaps what you can use in your personal and professional life based on your critical
analysis of this article.
6.
Add  a
“REFERENCES”  page  as  formatted  in  the  sample  paper  on  page  9.  In  this
case the only citation we have is the one article
provided.
In this case, the only citation we have is the one article provided. The article provided is
one  we  chose  because  it  had
the  b
est  visuals  and  graphics.
In  this  one  insta
nce  we  will
provide  you  with
citation  you  should  use  for  this  paper,  since  the  reproduction  we
provided does not have all the informatio
n you will need for a proper
citation:
Meshberger, Frank Lynn, “An Interpret
ation Of Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam Based on
Neuroanatomy.”
Journal of the American Medical Association
264(14):(1990):
1837
–
1841, doi:10.1001/jama.1990.03450140059034
FORMATTING: Double s
paced, Times New Roman font, 12
–
point text, and one
–
inch page
margins.
College
–
level writing is expected. The paper will be graded for content, grammar, spelling, punctuation,
and sentence structure.

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
Buonarroti painted magnificent frescoes on the ceiling of
the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, laboring from 1508 to 1512.
Commissioned by Pope Julius II, Michelangelo performed this
work himself without assistance. Scholars debate whether
he had any guidance from the Church in the selection of
the scenes, and what meaning the scenes were to convey.
In the fresco traditionally called the Creation of Adam, but
which might be more aptly titled the Endowment of Adam, I
believe that Michelangelo encoded a special message. It is a
message consistent with thoughts he expressed in his sonnets.
Supreme in sculpture and painting, he understood that his
skill was in his brain and not in his hands. He believed that
the “divine part” we “receive” from God is the “intellect”.
In the following sonnet, Michelangelo explains how he creates
sculpture and painting and how, I believe, God himself gave
man the gift of intellect1:

After the divine part has well
conceived
Man’s face and gesture, soon both
mind and hand,
With a cheap model, first, at their
command,
Give life to stone, but this is not
achieved
By skill. In painting, too, this is
perceived:
Only after the intellect has planned
The best and highest, can the ready
hand
Take up the brush and try all things
received.

wellcorps.com News To Use: The Creation

http://www.wellcorps.com

http://www.wellcorps.com/files/TheCreation

The sculpture and painting of Michelangelo reflect the great
knowledge of anatomy that he acquired by performing
dissections of the human body. His experience in dissection
is documented in Lives of the Artists, written by his
contemporary, Georgio Vasari2. Vasari says, “For the church
of Santo Spirito in Florence Michelangelo made a crucifix
of wood which was placed above the lunette of the high
altar, where it still is. He made this to please the prior, who
placed rooms at his disposal where Michelangelo very often
used to flay dead bodies in order to discover the secrets of
anatomy . . .”

The Creation of Adam fresco shows Adam and God reaching
toward one another, arms outstretched, fingers almost
touching. One can imagine the spark of life jumping from
God to Adam across that synapse between their fingertips.
However, Adam is already alive, his eyes are open, and he
is completely formed; but it is the intent of the picture that
Adam is to “receive” something from God. I believe there is
a third “main character” in the fresco that has not previously
been recognized. I would like to show this by looking at
four tracings, Figures 1 through 4, and by reviewing gross
neuroanatomy, using works by Frank Netter, MD, illustrator of
The CIBA Collection of Medical Illustrations, Volume I — The
Nervous System.

Examine Figures 1 and 2 to see if there is any similarity
between them. Examine Figures 3 and 4 and decide if these
figures are similar or dissimilar. Take enough time inspecting
the figures so that your mind may form its own image of them.

Proceeding to the neuroanatomy, Figure 5 shows a
saggital section of the skull; the brain, which lies in the
cranium, takes its shape from it. Study the picture to
gain an overall impression of the shape of the cranium.

Figure 6 shows the left lateral aspect of the brain and illustrates
the sulci and gyri that are present in the hemispheres. The
fissure of Silvius, or lateral cerebral fissure, separates the
frontal lobe from the temporal lobe. Figure 1 is a tracing of
this illustration.

Figure 2.

Figure 3.

Figure 4.

Figure 5.

Figure 1.

Figure 7 depicts the medial aspect of the right hemisphere;
Figure 8 is a tracing of the brain and spinal cord portion of
this illustration. The sulcus cinguli separates the gyrus cinguli
from the superior frontal gyrus and paracentral gyrus. The

parietal lobe is divided into the cuneus and lingular gyrus.
The pituitary gland is seen lying in the pituitary fossa; the
fact that the pituitary is bilobed can be seen grossly. The
pons, the bulbous upward extension of the spinal cord, is

noted. Immediately in front of the pituitary gland is the
cross section of the optic chiasm. Figure 3 is derived from
Figure 8 by removing both the cerebellum and the midbrain
structures inferior to the gyrus cinguli and rotating the spinal
cord posteriorly from the standard anatomic position.

Figure 9 is the inferior surface of the brain. From the optic
chiasm, the optic nerves extend rostrally, and the optic tracts
pass backward across the cerebral pedicles. The basilar
artery, formed by the junction of the two vertebral arteries,
extends from the inferior to the superior border of the pons.

Figure 10 shows the vertebral artery running cranial-ward
through the foramen in the transverse processes of the
cervical vertebrae to the inferior surface of the skull. The
vertebral artery bends abruptly around the articular process
of the atlas and makes another abrupt bend to enter the
cranial cavity through the foramen magnum, where it joins
the other vertebral artery to form the basilar artery.Figure 7.

Figure 8.

Figure 9.

Figure 6.

Figure 10.

Having studied these images of neuroanatomy, proceed to
Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam (Figure 11) and look at the
image that surrounds God and the angels.

This image has the shape of a brain.

Figure 12 shows that Figure 2 is obtained by tracing the
outer shell and the sulcus. Figure 13 shows that Figure 4 is a
tracing of the outer shell and of major lines in the fresco of
God and the angels. Therefore, Figures 1 and 3 are tracings
of neuroanatomy drawn by Frank Netter, and Figures 2 and
4 are tracings from the Creation of Adam by Michelangelo.

The sulcus cinguli extends along the hip of the angel in front
of God, across God’s shoulders, and down God’s left arm,
extending over Eve’s forehead. The flowing green robe at
the base represents the vertebral artery in its upward course
as it twists and turns around the articular process and then
makes contact with and proceeds along the inferior surface

of the pons. The back of the angel extending laterally
below God represents the pons, and the angel’s hip and leg
represent the spinal cord. The pituitary stalk and gland
are depicted by the leg and foot of the angel that extends
below the base of the picture. Note that the feet of both
God and Adam have five toes; however, the angel’s leg that
represents the pituitary stalk and gland has a bifid foot. This
same angel’s right leg is flexed at the hip and knee; the thigh
represents the optic nerve, the knee the transected optic
chiasm, and the leg the optic tract.

The important point, however, is not to identify minute
neuroanatomic structures in the fresco, but to see that the
larger image encompassing God is compatible with a brain.
Michelangelo portrays that what God is giving to Adam is the
intellect, and thus man is able to “plan the best and highest”
and to “try all things received”.

References
1. Tusianai J. The Complete Poems of Michelangelo. New York, NY: Noonday Press; 1960:146-147.
2. Vasari G; Bull G, trans. Lives of the Artists. Middlesex, England: Penguin Classics; 1965:332-333.
The above article appeared in the October 10, 1990 edition of JAMA®, The Journal of the American Medical Association, Volume 264, No. 14.
The drawings by Frank Netter, MD (Figures 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10) were reproduced from this article.

Wellcorps International wishes to express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Frank Meshberger for having the clear and objective perspective to correlate
his many years of medical training and knowledge into an objectivized understanding of one of the world’s great art treasures and gifts — allowing
us a glimpse into the mind of a spiritual artistic genius who asks us to see beyond the bounds of religion into the deeper meaning of the cosmos.

Figure 11.

Figure 12. Figure 13.