Who painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?

Michelangelo Buonarroti painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. He completed his work in October 1512. The Sistine Chapel's ceiling originally featured a starry sky painted by Pier Matteo d'Amelia in the 1470s.

Michelangelo's work on the ceiling was commissioned in 1508 by the pontiff Julius II della Rovere, who decided to partly alter the original decoration. The artist crafted epic frescoes on the ceiling, which are considered to be among his greatest work. The centerpiece of the ceiling decoration is made up of nine panels representing phases of biblical world history. The most famous, which shows God and Adam stretching their arms towards each other, is called "The Creation of Adam."