Who painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City?

Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City.

Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to decorate the chapel ceiling, and the artist worked on the project from 1508 to 1512. The vast fresco cycle contains scenes from the Book of Genesis, including the famous Creation of Adam.

Michelangelo was primarily celebrated as a sculptor when the commission began, but he designed an intricate architectural framework populated by prophets, sibyls, ancestors of Christ, and narrative scenes. The ceiling covers roughly 5,000 square feet and contains hundreds of figures.

A common misconception is that Michelangelo painted while lying flat on his back. He worked standing on specially constructed scaffolding, often looking upward for long periods. He later painted The Last Judgment on the chapel’s altar wall, completing it in 1541.