The Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City, famous above all for its ceiling painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512. It is considered one of the greatest artistic achievements in human history. Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo — primarily a sculptor — to paint the ceiling. Michelangelo was reluctant but accepted, and created a narrative sequence spanning the Book of Genesis from the Creation through the Great Flood. The famous image of God and Adam reaching toward each other, their fingers nearly touching, is perhaps the most recognized image in Western art. The ceiling covers 500 square meters. Working alone for much of the time (with assistants for preparation), Michelangelo painted lying on scaffolding while wet plaster was applied fresh each day (fresco technique). The physical strain nearly broke him. Twenty years later, Michelangelo returned to paint "The Last Judgment" on the altar wall — completed in 1541. Together, the two works form an unparalleled spiritual and artistic statement. The chapel now receives 5 million visitors annually.