What is the name of the most famous scene on the Sistine Chapel ceiling?

The most famous scene on the Sistine Chapel ceiling is The Creation of Adam.

Michelangelo painted this fresco between 1508 and 1512 for Pope Julius II. It is the fourth of nine central scenes drawn from Genesis, showing God reaching toward Adam as life is imparted to the first man. The nearly touching hands have become one of the most recognizable images in Western art.

The scene is often confused with The Last Judgment, another major Michelangelo fresco in the Sistine Chapel. However, The Last Judgment covers the altar wall and was painted later, from 1536 to 1541; it is not part of the ceiling. The ceiling also includes scenes of the Creation, Adam and Eve, and Noah.

The Creation of Adam’s fame extends beyond its religious subject. Its composition has been reproduced in posters, advertisements, films, parodies, and countless art-history references, making it the standard answer to questions about the ceiling’s signature image.