What did Michelangelo paint in the Sistine chapel?
On the Sistine Chapel ceiling Michelangelo painted stories from the Old Testament. The most well known piece is God’s creation of Adam, but this is only one small piece of the extensive work that covers 5,800 square feet. He divided the ceiling into 3 zones. The lowest zone contains the Biblical ancestors of Christ, set off by zig zagging bands. Heroic episodes from the Bible fill the corners. The second zone has Old Testament prophets and enthroned sibyls. The third zone runs down the center, nine separate panels tell the story of Genesis. He also painted one wall with a scene of the ‘Last Judgement’.
