Neuroanatomy Controversy

The famous quote goes, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” and the same holds true for artwork. Everyone interprets artwork differently with a variety of variables that can affect one's interpretation at any given time. In an Interpretation of Michelangelo's Creation of Adam Based on Neuroanatomy, Dr. Frank Meshberger attempts to show how Michelangelo intentionally painted God and the surrounding angels to represent the exact makeup of the human brain. He presents this in the form of an article in which he shares his arguments and analysis of Michelangelo’s work on the Sistine Chapel. This essay will review Meshberger’s main argument that the painting, the Creation of Adam, is an anatomically correct image of the human brain. Therefore, …show more content…
Perhaps, if I had spent a majority of the weekend at the local park, then naturally, my doodling would be consumed with nature. That is to say; the surrounding environment that artist finds themselves in will significantly influence their artwork. According to Meshberger, “The sculpture and painting of Michelangelo reflect the great knowledge of anatomy that he acquired by performing dissections of the human body.” (2). For this reason, it is possible that Michelangelo subconsciously painted the scene of God and the angels in the image of a brain. Furthermore, Meshberger did an excellent job analyzing the artwork to assist the reader in seeing this as well. This critical analysis essay has reviewed the work of Dr. Meshberger from a variety of different points of view. Notably, Meshberger focused on the anatomical correctness of Michelangelo’s work, dissecting the artwork for the reader so that they could have a good understanding of his interpretation of the painting. Consequently, Meshberger failed to acknowledge any other interpretation or understanding of the artwork. Despite his knowledge of the brain, and his ability to compare the picture to the anatomy of the human brain, he did not sell me on his