Michelangelo Buonarroti was commissioned by Pope Julius II in 1508 to paint the vault of the Sistine Chapel, located inside the Vatican Museums. Although he was already a renowned artist for his sculptures, such as the 'David' and the 'Pieta', Michelangelo did not consider himself a professional painter and was initially reluctant to undertake this project.
The vault of the Sistine Chapel measures approximately 40 metres long and 13 metres wide, an enormous surface for a pictorial work. Michelangelo worked almost alone, without significant assistants, in an awkward position, on scaffolding several metres high, painting above his head most of the time.
The original plan was to depict the 12 apostles, but Michelangelo proposed a much more complex and innovative composition, which included over 300 figures. The main subjects decorating the vault are scenes from the book of Genesis, including the 'Creation of Adam', one of the most iconic images in the history of art.
The work was completed in four years, in 1512, and marked a revolution in Renaissance painting for its compositional boldness, dynamism of the figures and expressive intensity. Michelangelo was only 37 years old when he finished this masterpiece, but his fame grew further thanks to this work, which remains one of the most admired in the world.
