Which biblical scene shows God reaching toward Adam on the Sistine Chapel ceiling?

The Creation of Adam shows God reaching toward Adam on the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

Michelangelo painted the fresco around 1508–1512 as part of the ceiling’s central sequence of nine scenes from the Book of Genesis. In the image, Adam reclines on the earth while God approaches from the opposite side, surrounded by angels and a human-like figure.

The nearly touching hands are among the most recognizable details in Western art. Contrary to a common description, the fingers do not actually touch: a small gap remains between them. The scene represents the moment when God gives life to Adam, although the biblical text describes God breathing life into him rather than specifying a hand-to-hand gesture.

The Creation of Adam is one of several Genesis panels. Other central scenes include The Creation of Eve, The Temptation and Expulsion, and The Great Flood. Their arrangement is read from the altar end toward the entrance.