Michelangelo’s art on the Sistine Chapel ceiling: sacred representation or anatomy lessons?

The Renaissance was a period of extensive scientific and cultural production, which occurred between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries. One of the exponents of this artistic period was the poet, architect, sculptor and painter Michelangelo Buonarroti, who was born and lived in Italy between 1475 and 1564. Among his best known artworks are the frescoes painted on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Currently, there is discussion if the paintings are only representations made from the sacred guidance of the church at the time, or if there are other meanings hidden in the images. From this context, we analyzed studies that associated the frescoes painted on the Sistine Chapel ceiling with anatomical structures hidden in the images, taking into account their significance, importance, and if these structures are not simply an imaginative interpretation of the researchers. This study was performed aiming to complement the work published by Ellwanger, Mohr and Campos (2012) in this journal.

Anatomy lessons in the Michelangelo' s works?

Michelangelo Bounarroti born in Italy and lived between 1475 and 1564. He had a vast knowledge inanatomy and it is confirmed by the perfection in which human  is represented in his works. This fact drawsthe attention of scholars from a variety of areas concerning the study of human body to be interested in his artworks. We discuss the possible presence of the representation of anatomical structures included in the worksof Michelangelo presented by several authors.