The Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo

The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel , Michelangelo, 1508-12

 The Sistine Chapel is probably one of the most famous works of Michelangelo Buonarotti and it was made between 1508 and 1512. The ceiling is divided accordingly and Michelangelo thoroughly planned which scenes from the bible he thought appropriate and which scenes he could and couldn't paint according to the papacy. There are nine scenes from the Book of Genesis including the Creation of Heaven and Earth, Night and Day, Adam and Eve, The story of Noah, the Expulsion from Eden etc. These were elaborately executed and bordering these scenes are male nude, Michelangelo’s preference when it came to painting subjects. These nudes were in contorted and abstract positions in which he was influenced by ancient Roman and Greek statues, which he saw there in Rome. There are also twelve Prophets who occupy the spaces surrounding the nine scenes and between each prophet are triangular section that depict daily life events and actions. He also painted architectural structures such as orders and columns that help divide each figure and scene and this was also a way to help occupy space because the ceiling is huge! When you see it in person, that is when you can truly appreciate the intensity of detail and grandeur of it all. You can only imagine the tolerance, patience and effort Michelangelo must have had in order to finish this.