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

This article focuses on the interpretation of Michelangelo Buonarroti’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel as symbolic representations of human brain anatomy and function. It presents the view that Michelangelo, informed by his experience with anatomic dissection, embedded detailed neuroanatomic imagery within the Days of Creation on the ceiling and the Last Judgment behind the altar. The Days of Creation frescoes are interpreted as illustrating stages of vertebrate brain evolution, with God’s figure shaped to resemble brains of different species, culminating in a human brain during the Creation of Adam. The Last Judgment fresco is seen as depicting a coronal section of the human brain, symbolizing the brain’s role in moral judgment. These interpretations suggest Michelangelo’s intent to convey complex ideas about brain development, mental functions, and spirituality without contradicting religious faith.