Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was a sculptor, painter, architect, and poet who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art. Though he considered himself primarily a sculptor — his David and Pietà are among the greatest sculptures ever made — his painting of the Sistine Chapel ceiling is the most celebrated fresco cycle in history. Commissioned by Pope Julius II in 1508, Michelangelo spent four years lying on scaffolding, painting over 300 figures across nearly 500 square meters. The Creation of Adam, at the ceiling's center, has become one of the most reproduced images in the world. He lived to 88, remaining active until weeks before his death — an almost unimaginable longevity for a Renaissance artist.
