Sumptuous and Large Depiction of the Old Testament "Creation", 1886

JF Ptak Science Books   Post 2478

I'm in the midst of making several posts relating to a group of large (27x21") chromolithographs of the mosaics in San Marco (sumptuously published by Ferdinand Ongania in Venice in 1886.  The main part of this image is the story of creation, starting in the innermost circle of images, where we find the creation of light (and darkness),  and the rest, followed by the larger concentric circle showing the starry realms, the creation of the birds and fishes, then the land-based animals, and then (around "12 o'clock" on the second circle) comes the creation of life in Adam, where it all seems to go downhill.  In the outer ring we see the creation and presentation of Eve, the various temptations, the nakedness realizations and then the banishment--not all together a happy ending.  But the artwork is lovely, highlighted in gold. 

• The original image is available for sale via he blog's bookstore, here.

Detail of the inner circle of images:

The detail of the separation of the day from night, of lightness from darkness:

And a scene between God and Adam, with the primordial man looking over his shoulder while at the same time pointing at all other life forms, discriminating perhaps, ordering, categorizing, distinguishing one from the other:

And the full image for the big picture:

Here's another perspective of the mosaic, looking at it from the ground level, obliquely:

[Image via Rolf Gross' website, here:  http://rolfgross.dreamhosters.com/Box/Travel/1994ItalyEaster/1994ItalyEaster.htm]