Horton's disease in Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564): the origin of his neurological debilitations in old age.

BACKGROUND: Based on portraits of the time, this description provides novel evidence that the celebrated Renaissance artist and genius of human anatomy, Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), suffered from a vascular disorder known as giant cell arteritis or Horton's disease. METHODS: Two portraits and a bronze sculpture produced between 1535 and the second half of the sixteenth century, in which Michelangelo was represented at over 60 years of age, reveal dilation of his superficial temporal artery consistent with that found in patients with Horton's disease or even with chronic arteriosclerosis. In addition, specialized authors indicate Michelangelo showed some of the neurological symptoms of this disease (blindness in old age, depression, and fever). RESULTS: These findings, at least in part, may explain the origin of the neurological debilitations Michelangelo faced in old age and that may even have contributed to his death. CONCLUSION: This description can serve as an important tool for analyzing his state of health during this period of his life.

Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Frescoes: communications about the brain.

In a 1990 JAMA cover story Frank Meshberger reported that Michelangelo's central composition on the Sistine Chapel ceiling (1508-1512), The Creation of Adam, portrays God in the form of a brain. The present report suggests that Michelangelo's images on the chapel ceiling depicting Creation describe the course of vertebrate brain development. Further, on the front wall of the Sistine Chapel, within the work titled The Last Judgment (1525-1541), the central ellipse, where Jesus is making judgments about good and evil, represents a mid-coronal cross-section of a human brain, implying that the brain is man's instrument for making decisions.

A Self-Portrait of Michelangelo Buonarroti Hidden in a Drawing from the Ashmolean Museum.

The discovery was recently announced in the scientific literature of a self-caricature of the great Renaissance artist and genius of human anatomy, Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), concealed in a drawing from 1525. This drawing is held in the collection of the British Museum in London, England. In it, the artist portrayed the Marchesa di Pescara, Vittoria Colonna (1490-1547). The present article considers evidence that Michelangelo may have depicted himself in another portrait of Vittoria Colonna, dated to approximately 1522, which is currently in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England. This concealed silhouetted figure displays physical features strikingly similar to those depicted in portraits of Michelangelo by his contemporaries, and in the description of the artist by Michelangelo's biographer, Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574): the large body, the shape of the face, the beard and the flattened nose. In this context, the present article could serve to facilitate analyses of the physical form and even of the state of health (from 1522) of one of the foremost anatomists of the Renaissance. Clin. Anat., 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A hidden rib found in Michelangelo Buonarroti's fresco The Creation of Adam.

The fresco The Creation of Adam (1511), painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel by the great genius of human anatomy Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), represents one of the most emblematic and best-known scenes in the world. This fresco illustrates a key passage from the Book of Genesis: the moment when God creates the first man, Adam. Since its completion, this work has been intensively studied by many scholars of art, and by several anatomists, who have pointed out signs of anatomical representations contained in the scene. However, there is still some uncertainty regarding this famous scene, especially in relation to its complete iconography. In an attempt to understand Michelangelo's purpose better regarding this emblematic scene, this article presents unpublished evidence that the artist could have concealed within the figure of Adam the anatomical image of a rib which, according to traditional Biblical accounts, is iconographically associated with the origin of Eve, Adam's companion. Curiously, this hidden rib in Adam's body figure could be related to the traditional view of the origin of the first humans expounded in the Jewish Kabbalah. Clin. Anat. 32:648-653, 2019. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The handedness of Michelangelo Buonarroti.

The handedness of Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), one of the greatest artists of all time, is still controversial. Although there is no doubt that almost all of his well-attributed drawings were drawn with the right hand, the hatch marks of the shading going downward from right to left; it has been often neglected in the literature that he was an innate left-hander. An unfairly unknown autobiography of Raffaello da Montelupo stated that Michelangelo, a natural left-hander, trained himself from a young age to become right-handed. The same biography also underlined that Michelangelo restricted the use of his left hand only to works requiring force such as hammering, carving, and chiseling marble. The sign of the wooden crucifix donated to Santo Spirito in 1492 and two autographic sketches by Michelangelo-one left alongside a poem in 1509, and the other in the dress of the Vittoria Colonna sketch in 1525-are useful tools for analyzing the artist's evolution from left to right handedness when drawing, writing, and painting. Clin. Anat. 31:645-647, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A self-caricature of michelangelo buonarroti hidden in the portrait of vittoria colonna.

The specialized literature has described how the great anatomist par excellence, Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), like many other renowned artists of his time, included a self-portrait in many of his works. This article presents novel evidence that Michelangelo inserted his self-portrait into a sketch of his close friend, Vittoria Colonna (1490-1547). This work, made by Michelangelo in 1525, is currently in the collection of the British Museum in London, England. This self-portrait of Michelangelo can serve as a tool for analyzing the artist's probable bodily dimensions and even his state of health during this period of his life. Clin. Anat. 31:335-338, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Michelangelo buonarroti's code in the frescoes of the sistine chapel - an allusion to gematria of the hebrew/greek alphabet and the Golden Ratio.

According to Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574), the great genius of anatomy, Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), in painting the frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (1508-1512), demonstrated to the world a new dimension/perspective of painting, especially in the sublime manner with which the artist represented the anatomical details of the characters that made up his frescoes. Since then, the Sistine Chapel has received millions of tourists annually, who marvel at the anatomical beauty of the characters depicted on its ceiling. It has also received many scholars of art and even anatomists, who have often tried to infer theses and explanations regarding Michelangelo's real intentions in elaborating this great work. However, even after five centuries, the Vatican's own official explanations of the true intentions of the artist remain quite uncertain. In an attempt to elucidate Michelangelo's possible intentions in the design of this memorable work, this article presents unpublished evidence that all the frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel were organized by the artist according to a code based on the number of characters in each fresco, the gematria of the Hebrew/Greek alphabet, and the Golden Ratio. This decoding process could reveal a key factor influencing the artist's intentions in ordering the elements in this work. Clin. Anat. 31:948-955, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Pagan symbols associated with the female anatomy in the Medici Chapel by Michelangelo Buonarroti.

Numerous studies have shown that many works of art from the Renaissance period contain hidden symbols and codes that could have religious, mathematical and/or pagan significance and even anatomical allusions. In this context, the present manuscript offers new evidence that the great genius of anatomy, Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), included pagan symbols associated with female anatomy in the funerary monuments found in the Sagrestia Nuova/Medici Chapel (1519-1533) in Florence, Italy. The interpretation of the symbols provided in this study will interest those with a passion for the history of anatomy. Clin. Anat. 30:572-577, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The hidden symbols of the female anatomy in Michelangelo Buonarroti's ceiling in the Sistine Chapel.

A number of published articles have suggested that each element of Renaissance art contains an inner meaning. Some of these elements include the choice of theme and protagonists, faces selected for the characters, colors used, species of flowers and trees chosen, animals depicted, positions of the elements, posture of the characters and their gestures, juxtapositions in the scenes, and even the very scenario or landscape. All of these elements are thought to have hidden meanings. In this context, this manuscript presents a new hypothesis suggesting that Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) may have concealed symbols associated with female anatomy in the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (painted 1508-1512) in Rome. Thus, this paper is useful to better understand the history of anatomy and corroborates recent descriptions that have suggested the possible existence of anatomic figures concealed in many of Michelangelo's works. Clin. Anat. 29:911-916, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Michelangelo, the Last Judgment fresco, Saint Bartholomew and the Golden Ratio.

Art and anatomy were particularly closely intertwined during the Renaissance period and numerous painters and sculptors expressed themselves in both fields. Among them was Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), who is renowned for having produced some of the most famous of all works of art, the frescoes on the ceiling and on the wall behind the altar of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. Recently, a unique association was discovered between one of Michelangelo's most celebrated works (The Creation of Adam fresco) and the Divine Proportion/Golden Ratio (GR) (1.6). The GR can be found not only in natural phenomena but also in a variety of human-made objects and works of art. Here, using Image-Pro Plus 6.0 software, we present mathematical evidence that Michelangelo also used the GR when he painted Saint Bartholomew in the fresco of The Last Judgment, which is on the wall behind the altar. This discovery will add a new dimension to understanding the great works of Michelangelo Buonarroti.

More than a neuroanatomical representation in The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo Buonarroti, a representation of the Golden Ratio.

Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) was a master anatomist as well as an artistic genius. He dissected numerous cadavers and developed a profound understanding of human anatomy. Among his best-known artworks are the frescoes painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (1508-1512), in Rome. Currently, there is some debate over whether the frescoes merely represent the teachings of the Catholic Church at the time or if there are other meanings hidden in the images. In addition, there is speculation regarding the image of the brain embedded in the fresco known as "The Creation of Adam," which contains anatomic features of the midsagittal and lateral surfaces of the brain. Within this context, we report our use of Image Pro Plus Software 6.0 to demonstrate mathematical evidence that Michelangelo painted "The Creation of Adam" using the Divine Proportion/Golden Ratio (GR) (1.6). The GR is classically associated with greater structural efficiency and is found in biological structures and works of art by renowned artists. Thus, according to the evidence shown in this article, we can suppose that the beauty and harmony recognized in all Michelangelo's works may not be based solely on his knowledge of human anatomical proportions, but that the artist also probably knew anatomical structures that conform to the GR display greater structural efficiency. It is hoped that this report will at least stimulate further scientific and scholarly contributions to this fascinating topic, as the study of these works of art is essential for the knowledge of the history of Anatomy.

Disclosure of a Concealed Michelangelo-Inspired Depiction in a 16th-Century Painting.

Some paintings may have hidden depictions beneath the visible surface, which can provide valuable insights into the artist's creative process and the genesis of the artwork. Studies have shown that these covered paintings can be revealed through image-based techniques and integrated data processing. This study analyzes an oil painting by Beceri from the mid-16th century depicting the Holy Family, owned by the Uffizi Galleries. During the analysis of the materials, we discovered evidence of pictorial layers beneath the visible scene. To uncover the hidden figuration, we applied a multimodal approach that included microprofilometry, reflectance imaging spectroscopy, macro X-ray fluorescence, and optical coherence tomography. We analyzed the brushstrokes of the hidden painting, visualized the underdrawing, located the painted areas beneath the outermost painting, and quantified the thicknesses of the pictorial layers. The pigments used for the underpainting were identified through cross-analysis of X-ray fluorescence and spectral correlation maps. The underlying pictorial subject, Leda and the Swan, appears to be inspired by a long-lost and replicated work by Michelangelo. This information places Beceri and his production in a more defined context.

Can Urinary Stones Change History?

Urolithiasis is a common disorder born with the first hominids and the earliest texts describing symptoms date back to 3200 BC in Mesopotamia. The symptoms have always been the same, whereas the possibility of treatment has changed throughout the history. Gaius Plinius Secondus, known as Pliny the Elder, in his work "Naturalis Historia," described the pain produced by a urinary stone as an excruciating torment. When there was not an effective remedy, could this atrocious torment change the lives and choices of men? When the affected people were kings, powerful, or artists, could renal colic affect their political decisions or their artistic works? I answer positively to these questions. I will set some historical facts to demonstrate this. We will see how the surgical treatment of urolithiasis contributed to separating medicine from surgery in medieval Europe. I will tell how an archer's life was saved by perineal lithotomy surgery. I will try to prove that Michelangelo Buonarroti left traces of his stone disease in the Sistine Ceiling. Finally, I will connect the foundation of Rome, capital of the Kingdom of Italy, to bladder stones. A cultural-scientific game, not a historical treatise, in which I will try to connect some important events to urinary calculi.

Virtual Art Therapy: Application of Michelangelo Effect to Neurorehabilitation of Patients with Stroke.

In neurorehabilitation, some studies reported the effective use of art therapy for reducing psychological disorders and for enhancing physical functions and cognitive abilities. Neuroaesthetical studies showed that seeing an art masterpiece can spontaneously elicit a widespread brain arousal, also involving motor networks. To combine contemplative and performative benefits of art therapy protocols, we have developed an immersive virtual reality system, giving subjects the illusion that they are able to paint a copy of famous artistic paintings. We previously observed that during this virtual task, subjects perceived less fatigue and performed more accurate movements than when they were asked to color the virtual canvas. We named this upshot the Michelangelo effect. The aim of this study was to test the rehabilitative efficacy of our system. Ten patients with stroke in the subacute phase were enrolled and trained for one month with virtual art therapy (VAT) and physiotherapy. Their data were compared with those of ten patients matched for pathology, age and clinical parameters, trained only with conventional therapy for the same amount of time. The VAT group showed a significantly higher improvements in the Barthel Index score, a measure of independency in activities of daily living (66 ± 33% vs. 31 ± 28%, p = 0.021), and in pinching strength (66 ± 39% vs. 18 ± 33%, p = 0.008), with respect to the group treated with conventional rehabilitation.

Michelangelo's Presentations in the Sistine Chapel: Brain Evolution and the Relationship of the Brain to Specific Cognitive Functions.

Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) presented some of the most spectacular artworks of all times in frescos on the ceiling and behind the altar of the Sistine Chapel. While Michelangelo's presentations depict events described in the Bible, there is broad consensus that Michelangelo was conveying his knowledge and theoretical ideas gleaned from his experiences with anatomic dissection. Michelangelo appears to have communicated several ideas about the brain in the images of the Days of Creation and the Last Judgment. Taking the Days of Creation and the Last Judgment together, Michelangelo appears to be symbolizing that God is in the brain, specifically the brainstem, and the brain performs mental functions. The five images on the ceiling of the chapel showing Days of Creation may be interpreted as reflecting the course of vertebrate brain evolution. There are further suggestions about brain function, including perceiving light and complex images and giving spirit to Adam. Furthermore, on the front wall of the Sistine Chapel behind the altar, within the work titled the Last Judgment, the central ellipse, in which Jesus is sitting, appears to represent a midcoronal cross section of a human brain, suggesting that it is the brain that renders judgments about good and evil.

Intertwining art, religion and anatomy: did Michelangelo Buonarroti influence Berengario da Carpi's representation of a maternal death?

AIM: To confirm that the sixteenth century surgeon-anatomist, Jacopo Berengario da Carpi, used a woman who died of a ruptured uterus as a model for a woodcut of female genital anatomy, and that the presentation was based on the cloak in Michelangelo's Creation of Adam after visiting the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican whilst he was in Rome. METHOD: Analysis of the woodcut for evidence of a uterus at term, and comparison with the shape of the cloak in the Creation of Adam, coupled with Berengario's own description. RESULTS: The size of the uterus is that in the 38th to 40th week of pregnancy, further supported by striations of the endometrial surface, rather than the smooth surface of the non-gravid. By rotating the woman's image 90° counterclockwise, the outline of the woman's cloak becomes almost perfectly superimposed over God's cloak. CONCLUSION: In the woodcut, the open belly of the model shows typical features of the full-term uterus. The use of God's cloak softens the features. At the same time, it exemplifies the creative power of God and describes the birth of humanity in both theological and physiological ways. Intertwining art, religion and anatomy, Michelangelo and Berengario allow scholars to appreciate the concepts of divinity and humanity at multiple levels.

The "Michelangelo Code": The Quest for Universal Truth.

Michelangelo's unparalleled frescoes in the Sistine Chapel have been traditionally construed to represent the traditional, Roman Catholic interpretation of the Seven Days of Creation in the Book of Genesis and the Last Judgement. Indeed, in September 2018, Pope Francis I offered a benediction for the Vatican's art treasures and for "those who contributed to the Church's history through art." A number of studies have suggested that Michelangelo concealed anatomic information about the human brain in his renderings of God and biblical prophets and saints. Was the anatomic content of these images purposeful or coincidental? Was the anatomy intentionally concealed? Is there a common pattern with symbolic connotations in the anatomic representations? Was Michelangelo sending an encoded message? In this study, we analyze the imagery in the Sistine frescoes in light of the literature surrounding Michelangelo's artistry with a particular interest in the relationship between the certain purported anatomic depictions and details demonstrable using scientific and anatomic techniques available during the High Renaissance.

Freud's B'nai B'rith Dream: Having Lost His Way, His "Brethren Were Unkind and Scornful ".

On Tuesday, April 24, 1900, three days after Passover, Freud gave a talk at his B'nai B'rith lodge on Emile Zola's utopian novel penned in self-exile in London, Fécondité (1899). The next day Freud wrote Wilhelm Fliess that the night before the talk he had a dream in which "[t]he brethren … were unkind and scornful of me." In the dream his brethren's contempt signifies that Freud is making his impious move to destroy their Tree of Life: no Law, no Judaism, no Christianity, no miserable anti-Semitism. In Freud's utopia, an enlightened socially just world grounded in reason, which mirrors the brotherly atheistic utopia envisioned in Fécondité, the seed of Abraham at long last can move across frontiers freely, develop their talents, and satisfy their needs.

Neoplatonic Symbolism by Michelangelo in Sistine Chapel's Separation of Light from Darkness.

Upon discovery of Michelangelo's concealed neuroanatomical images in "Separation of Light from Darkness," by Suk and Tamargo in 2010, there remained a compelling need to investigate in greater detail the reasoning behind Michelangelo's depiction of imagery of the brain, brainstem, spinal cord, eyeballs and optic nerves in the Sistine Chapel. At cursory glance, "Separation of Light from Darkness" depicts God's first act of Genesis 1:3-5 (King James Bible), in which he creates light and separates it from the darkness, enveloping the world he has just created. It is a seemingly simple, conspicuous act, but careful analysis reveals that Michelangelo used his artistic, academic, and poetic genius to embed layers of symbolic meanings. The authors believe that the great artist infused a visual metaphor of a scene from Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" in Book VII of The Republik (~380BC) to represent his key ideologies in Neoplatonism and pious convictions Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel during the flourishing period of High Renaissance (~1475-1527). High Renaissance art followed and reflected the period of 'rebirth' in which philosophy, literature, art, and sciences drew on ancient knowledge from Classical Antiquity, principally the ancient Greeks. The Renaissance was a period of rapid growth where people applied new found knowledge to the Classical Greek studies of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle (from about the 4th to 3rd century BC). One of the most influential ancient philosophers was Plato (~428-348 BC) whose teachings propagated throughout Athens for about two centuries around his lifetime, through his established school, the Academy. His philosophy of Neoplatonism was resurrected by an Italian baron, Cosimo I de Medici who employed Marsilio Ficino (1433-99) to lead the Florentine Platonic Academy (of which Michelangelo was a student) and translate all of Plato's writings into Latin Through analysis of Michelangelo's paintings, his preliminary sketches, poems, written letters, and the political and religious context of his time, the authors attempt to provide key evidence to reveal the meaning and symbolism behind Michelangelo's concealed anatomic representations.