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Which famous murals did Michelangelo paint in the Sistine Chapel?
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Mural
Detail of Religion, mural in lunette from the Family and Education series by Charles Sprague Pearce, 1897; in the Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C.
Michelangelo painted two of the most significant masterpieces of Western art in the Sistine Chapel:
- The Sistine Chapel Ceiling (1508â1512): Commissioned by Pope Julius II, this massive fresco cycle covers the barrel-vaulted ceiling with over 300 figures. It features nine central scenes from the book of Genesisâranging from the Creation to the drunkenness of Noahâas well as depictions of prophets, sibyls, and the ancestors of Christ.1234
- The Last Judgment (1536â1541): Located on the west wall behind the altar, this colossal fresco was commissioned by Pope Clement VII and executed under Pope Paul III. It depicts the triumph of good over evil and is noted for its emotional intensity and complex composition. Its creation necessitated the destruction of earlier frescoes by Perugino that previously occupied the altar wall.254
These works are celebrated for their revolutionary approach to the human form and their profound influence on the history of painting.23