Moonday’s Heroic Hunk: Adam & the Roses of Prose

     Today’s Heroic Hunk in History is Adam, as in Genesis in the Bible. But first, welcome to the Roses of Prose, a group blog of authors published by Red Rose Publishing, whom we added to our blogroll today. The Sizzlers met Laura Breck & Lisa Lipkind Leibow of the Roses of Prose at the Silken Sands Conference last weekend. They did a great presentation on grogging (group blogging) and are counted among our new Sizzler friends from the Silken Sands Conference. Hope to see them at future Silken Sands Conferences.
     Now, to Adam. Medieval and Renaissance art often used religious themes because (1) the Church, (2) religious laity who used the art for their devotions, and (3) sinners who donated/sponsored the art to religious institutions for indulgences were the most prominent patrons. BTW, God was cropped because God will never be a Heroic Hunk. Not any way, no and no. Hell is full of fools.

     The Creation of Adam is the centerpiece of Michelangelo’s ceiling fresco in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican City in Rome. In 1511, when Pope Julius II ordered Michelangelo (already a renowned sculptor) to paint the ceiling, it featured gold stars on a deep blue background. The fresco (a mixture of paint pigment heated with plaster and applied to a surface while wet) illustrates the Biblical story from the Book of Genesis in which God the Father breathes life into Adam, the first man. God’s right arm is outstretched to impart the spark of life from his own finger into Adam’s (whose arm is an exact duplicate of God’s in reverse).
     Adam’s finger is not Michelangelo’s original but part of a restoration after a portion of the fresco fell off the ceiling. Also, check out the female form in Adam’s left leg which foreshadows the creation of Eve. Adrian VI, one of Julius’ successors, planned to have the offensive frescoes scraped off, but, fortunately, died before he could commission the work.
     Michelangelo and Pope Julius had a difficult relationship. The Pope nagged Michelangelo to work faster but was slow in paying which made things difficult at home for Michelangelo. While Michelangelo’s family was of the nobility and did not support his career which they thought was menial, they did like his income.

     We’ll feature more of Michelangelo’s work later because he does paint/sculpt a good nude and Moondays are mine to choose. HOWEVER, if you have a Heroic Hunk you’d like featured, please make a suggestion. ‘Til next Moonday, Rita VF