During his first trip to Italy in Spring 1876, Rodin was absolutely fascinated by Michelangelo, both in Rome and in Florence. Adam is a direct reflection of this admiration. Adam stretches his index finger to receive the life that God the Father will give him, as on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. However, the bent knee, the oblique position of the arms across the torso and the tilt of the head over the shoulder is influenced more by the Pietà in the Duomo of Florence. The rapidly modeled Adam was the first sculpture made for the Gate to become an independent figure. The plaster was presented at the Salon of 1881 under the title The Creation of Man.
