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Tania Mora

ENC3315

Argumentative Writing

Professor Marinara

Fall 2014[AV1]

Rhetorical Analysis

The Creation of Adam in Modern Advertizing

Art has been used to express ideas andbelievesbeliefs since ancient times. Much of the

knowledge we have about ancient Egypt and other civilizations have hasbeen learned from

sculptures, scrolls and paintings which helps us understand their development, rituals and

believes beliefs. Just like written stories, pictures can convey andidea in a very explicit way.

Pictures, paintings and drawings are used to communicate, manifest or even influencebelieves,

beliefs, ideas and decisions of the audience to whom they are directed. As the audience, we are in

the position to interpret and understand the meaning of these paintings and drawings from our

point of view without leaving the meaning between the lines uncovered. In order to discover the

meaning between the lines in a painting,we takenintoconsideration the time, situation, setting

and circumstances in which the art was created.

For instance, The Creation of Adamis one of the nine panels dedicated to Bbiblical

history painted in the Sistine Chapel, Italy. Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to paint

the Sistine Chapel. As Leader[AV2]explains in her article, MichelangelosLast Judgment The

Culmination of Papal Propaganda in the Sistine Chapel, these paintings seem created for an

audience with a theological understanding. Even though,during the Renaissainse Renaissance

the artistswere in a stage of separating the basicbelieves beliefsthe church had imposed in on

them, these paintings seem to evoke devotion and contemplation for the Biblical meaning. In

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tThe original painting,God reaches out to Adamtoimpart the breath of life. In the expression of

Adams face, the painter uses emotional appeal to move his audience to a feeling of meekness

and necessity. The image of Adam is relaxed and meek yet strong and almost perfect. As per the

expression of God is that of power and compassion.

On the other hand, the same image is now aimedat a totallydifferent audience. This ad is

not evoking feelings or reflections on the Bbiblical meaning;,in onthe contrary,the painting is

use to denote the desirability of a drink which is what in this case is offered by God. The same

image of Adam now represents almost the same relaxation and perfection, but now reading

between the lines of the painting we do not see meekness and necessity.,Iinstead,we can see

desire. The desire is no longer life, instead the drinkis. In perspective of superiority, the drink is

portraitportrayed as from high above, . Ssomething desirable by the almost perfect and relaxed

man that waits with a certain audacity and confidence. All these descriptions of the beer we

could see it only in the depiction of it in the context of thepicture[AV3]. To make it more certain

and assertive, the creator of the ad takes a step forward and adds the words The Most Desired

Beer in Italy. This adds a deeper dimension to the meaning of the ad.The creator of the ad is

not only using what we can see, but also what most people know. The painting of The Creation

of Adamis one of the most famous worksof art from the Renaissance era. Most people who visit

Italy would seek to visit the Sistine Chapel to see and admire Michelangelos paintings. This is

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one of the tourist most visited places in Italy. This along aloneleads to the thought that if the

beer can be related to such important piece of history, then it must be something that deserves the

attention the ad is aiming for. The ad also has a very esplicit phase that leaves nothing to

interpretation. It implies that Moretti is the most desired beer in Italy.

One flaw on the ad is the Ffaulty Uuse of Aauthority. Relating the drink to a very popular

and important painting in a way makes the beer just as important and popular as the painting

itself. The ad is trying to imply that the beer is just as good or seek soughtafter as the painting.

Maybe tourists who just arrive in Italy could fall for something like this.

In conclusion,pictures,paintings and works of art can be used to convey andidea, a

feeling or to createa reaction. The audience of each piece is different and the creator of the ad

needs to know to whom he/she is aiming the ad to. The use of classical art in contemporary

advertising can be very effective depending on whereit is placed. The ad I think is a good

combination of knowledge of the old and the relation to the necessity of people to belong or be

part of something more important and popular than the regular[AV4].

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Works Cited

"Ancient Egypt Pictures & Galleries." History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 29 Sept.

2014. .

Leader, Anne. "Michelangelo's Last Judgment: The Culmination of Papal Propaganda in the

Sistine Chapel." Academia.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2014.