The original ceiling painting was by Pier Matteo d'Amelia, and had depicted stars over a blue background like the ceiling of the Arena Chapel decorated by Giotto at Padua. The ceiling as it may have looked before Michelangelo painted it The upper level of the walls contains the windows, between which are painted pairs of illusionistic niches with representations of the first 32 popes. It was carried out by some of the most renowned Renaissance painters: Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio, Luca Signorelli, and Cosimo Rosselli. The middle level contains a complex scheme of frescoes illustrating the Life of Christ on the right side and the Life of Moses on the left side. Following this, Raphael designed a set of tapestries (1515–1516) to cover the lowest of three levels the surviving tapestries are still hung on special occasions. The walls of the Sistine Chapel had been decorated 20 years before Michelangelo's work on the ceiling. 5 Stylistic analysis and artistic legacy.4.1 Nine scenes from the Book of Genesis.It has been restored multiple times, most recently in the late 20th century. The ceiling was immediately well-received and imitated by other artists, continuing to the present. The complex design includes several sets of figures, some clothed and some nude, allowing Michelangelo to fully demonstrate his skill in depicting the human figure in a wide variety of poses.

Ĭentral to the ceiling decoration are nine scenes from the Book of Genesis, including the famous Creation of Adam. The chapel's decoration illustrates much of the doctrine of the Catholic Church, serving as the location for papal conclaves and many other important services. Michelangelo returned to the chapel to create The Last Judgment, a large wall fresco situated behind the altar. After the ceiling was painted, Raphael created a set of large tapestries (1515–1516) to cover the lower portion of the wall. Prior to Michelangelo's contribution, the walls were painted by several leading artists of the late 15th century including Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, and Pietro Perugino. The ceiling's various painted elements form part of a larger scheme of decoration within the chapel. The ceiling was painted at the commission of Pope Julius II.

The Sistine Chapel is the large papal chapel built within the Vatican between 14 by Pope Sixtus IV, for whom the chapel is named. The Sistine Chapel ceiling ( Italian: Soffitto della Cappella Sistina), painted in fresco by Michelangelo between 15, is a cornerstone work of High Renaissance art.

Decorative ceiling tiles