When Michelangelo signed the contract with Pope Julius II in 1508 to paint the Sistine Chapel Ceiling, little did he know the turmoil that awaited him. Never before had such a large-scale painting been attempted on a ceiling – and by a sculptor no less! After four and a half years of physical strain, personal conflict with the pope, and an endless demand for inspiration, Michelangelo covered approximately 9,000 sq. ft. of ceiling with some of the most beautiful and sublime figures in history. This lecture will examine the artistic importance, style and meaning of the of the ceiling, as well the extraordinary human drama behind its creation.