Updated October 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 696 works by Michelangelo in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals Michelangelo left, the most famous is The Creation of Adam (1512), in the collection of the Sistine Chapel, Vatican City. Close behind it come Last Judgment (1537) and Holy Family (Doni Tondo) (1506). Our catalog holds 696 works by Michelangelo; the gallery has kept the 100 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
Executed between 1508 and 1512 on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, this fresco captures a singular moment of transition. The composition centers on the near-contact of two hands: one belonging to a reclining, muscular Adam and the other to an elderly, powerful God. Michelangelo utilized the fresco technique, applying pigment directly onto wet lime plaster. This method required rapid, decisive execution, as the color becomes a…
Completed in 1537, this monumental fresco adorns the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City and represents one of the most ambitious and influential works in the history of Western art. More than just a depiction of biblical prophecy, it is a powerful statement on humanity’s fate, rendered with unparalleled anatomical precision and dramatic intensity.
A Renaissance Masterpiece: Unveiling Michelangelo’s Holy Family (Doni Tondo) This circular oil painting, a singular achievement in Michelangelo's oeuvre, presents a dynamic and profoundly symbolic depiction of the Holy Family. Completed in 1506 for Agnolo Doni upon his marriage to Maddalena Strozzi, the *Holy Family* – also known as the *Doni Tondo* – transcends a simple religious scene, embodying the artistic ideals and intellectual currents of the High Renaissance. Composition…
In the quiet annals of art history, few moments are as breathtaking as the emergence of a prodigy. The Torment of Saint Anthony stands as a haunting testament to this phenomenon, representing the very first known painting by the Renaissance titan, Michelangelo Buonarroti. Created around 1487, when the artist was a mere twelve years old, this small yet profound work captures a young mind already grappling with the complexities of…
In this unfinished oil-on-panel work, Michelangelo depicts the somber burial of Jesus Christ. The scene captures the heavy, quiet moment of the entombment, focusing on the lifeless body of Christ as it is prepared for its final resting place. Michelangelo, who approached painting with the sensibilities of a sculptor, brings a profound sense of physical weight to the figures, treating the pigment as if it were being carved from stone.
A Divine Genesis: Unveiling Michelangelo’s Creation of the Sun, Moon, and Plants Michelangelo’s *Creation of the Sun, Moon, and Plants* is a breathtaking segment from the monumental fresco cycle adorning the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. Completed between 1508 and 1512, this artwork isn't merely a depiction of biblical creation; it’s a powerful statement about divine energy, human potential, and the very origins of life itself. Measuring…
A Renaissance Masterpiece: Unveiling Michelangelo’s Doni Tondo Michelangelo Buonarroti's *Doni Tondo*, completed between 1506 and 1507, stands as a singular achievement in the artist’s oeuvre – his only surviving finished panel painting. This circular tempera on wood masterpiece, measuring 120 cm in diameter and residing within the esteemed Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence, is far more than just a beautiful image; it's a window into the heart of Renaissance ideals,…
A Vision of Prophecy: Michelangelo’s Delphic Sibyl Michelangelo Buonarroti's *The Delphic Sibyl*, painted in 1509 as part of the monumental fresco cycle adorning the ceiling of the Cappella Sistina (Sistine Chapel), is a cornerstone of High Renaissance art. Measuring an impressive 350 x 380 cm, this work isn’t merely a depiction; it's a powerful statement about faith, knowledge, and the human condition. Decoding the Composition & Symbolism The Sibyl is…
A Masterpiece of Renaissance Emotion: Michelangelo’s Pietà Michelangelo’s *Pietà*, sculpted between 1498 and 1499, stands as a pinnacle of High Renaissance artistry. Housed within the solemn grandeur of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, this Carrara marble sculpture transcends mere representation; it is a deeply moving meditation on grief, faith, and maternal love. The Scene: Sorrowful Piety The *Pietà* depicts the Virgin Mary cradling the lifeless body of Jesus Christ…
A Renaissance Masterpiece: The Holy Family with the Infant St. John the Baptist Michelangelo’s *The Doni Tondo*, completed in 1506, stands as a singular achievement – his only surviving finished panel painting. This captivating work, housed within Florence's prestigious Galleria degli Uffizi, offers a powerful glimpse into the artist’s innovative spirit and mastery of form. Measuring 120 x 120 cm, the circular composition, known as a *tondo*, immediately distinguishes itself…
Ignudo1509 · Sistine Chapel
12
Creation of Adam (detail)1510 · Sistine Chapel
13
Leda and the Swan1535 · National Gallery
14
Risen Christ (detail)1521 · Santa Maria sopra Minerva
15
Palazzo Nuovo1603 · Piazza Campidoglio
16
Expulsion from Garden of Eden1509 · Sistine Chapel
17
Jeremiah1511 · Sistine Chapel
18
Creation of Adam (detail)1510 · Sistine Chapel
19
Brutus1540 · Museo Nazionale del Bargello
20
The Libyan Sibyl1511 · Sistine Chapel
21
Medallion (12)1511 · Sistine Chapel
22
David and Goliath (detail)1509 · Sistine Chapel
23
Creation of Eve (with ignudi and medallions)1509 · Sistine Chapel
24
Daniel1511 · Sistine Chapel
25
Last Judgment (detail) (8)1537 · Sistine Chapel
26
The Fall and Expulsion from Garden of Eden1509 · Sistine Chapel
27
Study of a Mourning Woman1505
28
Ignudo (15)1511 · Sistine Chapel
29
Ideal Face1512 · Galleria degli Uffizi
30
The Libyan Sibyl (detail)1511 · Sistine Chapel
31
Pietà (detail)1499 · St. Peter's Basilica
32
Separation of Light from Darkness1511 · Sistine Chapel
33
Nude Man Turned to the Right1510 · The Louvre
34
Head of a Satyr1501 · British Museum
35
The Libyan Sibyl
36
Joel1509 · Sistine Chapel
37
Medallion (16)1511 · Sistine Chapel
38
Interior of the Sistine Chapel1475 · Sistine Chapel
39
Creation of the Sun, Moon, and Plants (detail)1511 · Sistine Chapel
40
Jonah1511 · Sistine Chapel
41
Samson and Two Philistines1500 · The Frick Collection
42
Tomb of Lorenzo de' Medici1524
43
Judith and Holofernes (detail)1509 · Sistine Chapel
44
Rondanini Pietà1564 · Sforza Castle
45
Creation of Adam (detail)1510 · Sistine Chapel
46
David (detail)1501 · Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze
47
Model for the dome of St. Peter's1560 · Vatican Museums
48
Victory (side view)1532 · Palazzo Vecchio
49
Sacrifice of Noah (detail)1509 · Sistine Chapel
50
Dome of St Peter's1564 · St. Peter's Basilica
51
Madonna of the Stairs1490 · Casa Buonarroti
52
Pitti Tondo (detail)1504 · Museo Nazionale del Bargello
53
Study of a Head Looking Upward (recto)1504 · Casa Buonarroti
54
Crouching Boy1530 · Hermitage Museum
55
Pietà (detail)1550 · Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
56
David (rear view)1504 · Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze
57
Exterior of the Sistine Chapel1475 · Sistine Chapel
58
Ezekiel (detail)1510 · Sistine Chapel
59
Slave (rebelling)1513 · The Louvre
60
Pietà (detail)1499 · St. Peter's Basilica
61
Last Judgment (detail) (10)1537 · Sistine Chapel
62
Rachel and Leah1545
63
The Erythraean Sibyl (detail)1509 · Sistine Chapel
64
David1504 · Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze
65
The Punishment of Tityus (recto)1532 · Royal Library
66
St Matthew (detail)1503 · Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze
67
Madonna and Child (detail)1501 · Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk
68
St Matthew1503 · Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze
69
Group of Three Male Nudes (recto)1503 · The Louvre
70
Medallion (15)1511 · Sistine Chapel
71
Pietà1550 · Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
72
Dome of St Peter's1564 · St. Peter's Basilica
73
Separation of Light from Darkness (detail)1511 · Sistine Chapel
74
Zechariah (detail)1509 · Sistine Chapel
75
The Fall and Expulsion from Garden of Eden (detail)1509 · Sistine Chapel
76
Ancestors of Christ: figures (19)1510 · Sistine Chapel
77
Drunkenness of Noah (detail)1509 · Sistine Chapel
78
Nahshon (detail)1511 · Sistine Chapel
79
Punishment of Haman (detail)1511 · Sistine Chapel
80
Joel (detail)1509 · Sistine Chapel
81
Interior of the Sistine Chapel1475 · Sistine Chapel
82
Creation of Eve1509 · Sistine Chapel
83
The ceiling1508 · Sistine Chapel
84
The Erythraean Sibyl1509 · Sistine Chapel
85
Last Judgment (detail) (12)1537 · Sistine Chapel
86
The Persian Sibyl1511 · Sistine Chapel
87
The ceiling1508 · Sistine Chapel
88
Creation of Eve (detail)1509 · Sistine Chapel
89
The Fall and Expulsion from Garden of Eden (detail)1509 · Sistine Chapel
90
Creation of the Sun, Moon, and Plants (detail)1511 · Sistine Chapel
91
Ancestors of Christ: figures (12)1511 · Sistine Chapel
92
The Fall and Expulsion from Garden of Eden (detail)1509 · Sistine Chapel
93
Pietà (detail)1499
94
the doni tondo (framed)
95
The Brazen Serpent1511 · Sistine Chapel
96
Hezekiah - Manasseh - Amon1511 · Sistine Chapel
97
Lamentation (recto), c. 15301530 · Albertina
98
Bronze nudes1511 · Sistine Chapel
99
Resurrection of Christ1530 · The Louvre
100
Pietà (detail)1499 · St. Peter's Basilica
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Michelangelo | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Sistine Chapel |
Vatican City | 218 | The Creation of Adam, Last Judgment, Creation of the Sun, Moon, and Plants |
 St. Peter's Basilica |
Vatican City | 8 | Pietà, Pietà (detail), Dome of St Peter's |
 Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze |
Florence | 15 | David (detail), David (rear view), David |
 The Louvre |
Paris | 19 | Nude Man Turned to the Right, Slave (rebelling), Group of Three Male Nudes (recto) |
 Galleria degli Uffizi |
Florence | 10 | Holy Family (Doni Tondo), The Doni Tondo (framed), The Holy Family with the infant St. John the Baptist (the Doni tondo) |
 Casa Buonarroti |
Florence | 17 | Madonna of the Stairs, Study of a Head Looking Upward (recto) |
 Museo Nazionale del Bargello |
Florence | 9 | Brutus, Pitti Tondo (detail) |
 National Gallery |
London | 3 | Entombment, Leda and the Swan |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
In the quiet annals of art history, few moments are as breathtaking as the emergence of a prodigy. The Torment of Saint Anthony stands as a haunting testament to this phenomenon, representing the very first known painting by the Renaissance titan, Michelangelo Buonarroti. Created around 1487, when the artist was a mere twelve years old, this small yet profound work captures a young mind already grappling with the complexities of…
A Masterpiece of Renaissance Emotion: Michelangelo’s Pietà Michelangelo’s *Pietà*, sculpted between 1498 and 1499, stands as a pinnacle of High Renaissance artistry. Housed within the solemn grandeur of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, this Carrara marble sculpture transcends mere representation; it is a deeply moving meditation on grief, faith, and maternal love. The Scene: Sorrowful Piety The *Pietà* depicts the Virgin Mary cradling the lifeless body of Jesus Christ…
A Renaissance Masterpiece: Unveiling Michelangelo’s Holy Family (Doni Tondo) This circular oil painting, a singular achievement in Michelangelo's oeuvre, presents a dynamic and profoundly symbolic depiction of the Holy Family. Completed in 1506 for Agnolo Doni upon his marriage to Maddalena Strozzi, the *Holy Family* – also known as the *Doni Tondo* – transcends a simple religious scene, embodying the artistic ideals and intellectual currents of the High Renaissance. Composition…
Executed between 1508 and 1512 on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, this fresco captures a singular moment of transition. The composition centers on the near-contact of two hands: one belonging to a reclining, muscular Adam and the other to an elderly, powerful God. Michelangelo utilized the fresco technique, applying pigment directly onto wet lime plaster. This method required rapid, decisive execution, as the color becomes a…
A Testament to Renaissance Power: Michelangelo’s Risen Christ Michelangelo Buonarroti's *Risen Christ* (detail), completed in 1521, is far more than a depiction of religious triumph; it’s a profound exploration of human potential and divine power rendered in breathtaking marble. Housed within the Santa Maria sopra Minerva church in Rome, this sculpture stands as a pivotal work of the High Renaissance, showcasing Michelangelo's unparalleled mastery of anatomy, composition, and emotional expression.…
Completed in 1537, this monumental fresco adorns the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City and represents one of the most ambitious and influential works in the history of Western art. More than just a depiction of biblical prophecy, it is a powerful statement on humanity’s fate, rendered with unparalleled anatomical precision and dramatic intensity.
Brutus: A Renaissance Masterpiece of Power and Rebellion Title: Brutus Artist: Michelangelo Buonarroti Date: 1540 Medium: Marble Location: Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence, Italy Historical Context and Significance Michelangelo's "Brutus" bust was sculpted during a period of significant political upheaval in Renaissance Italy. Commissioned around 1539-1540 by Cardinal Niccolò Ridolfi, the sculpture reflects the anti-tyrannical sentiments prevalent at the time. Brutus, known for his role in assassinating Julius Caesar to…
Michelangelo Buonarroti's Pietà, a marble sculpture created between 1547 and 1555, stands as one of the most profoundly moving works in the history of Western art. More than simply a depiction of sorrow, it’s an exploration of human emotion at its rawest, a testament to the enduring power of maternal love amidst unimaginable loss. Originally conceived for Michelangelo's own tomb within St. Peter’s Basilica, this masterpiece quickly transcended its initial…
The Rondanini Pietà: Michelangelo's Final Meditation on Grief and Grace Subject & Iconography: The Rondanini Pietà, meaning "Pity" in Italian, depicts the Virgin Mary cradling the lifeless body of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion. This poignant scene, known as a Pietà, is a traditional subject in Christian art, symbolizing maternal sorrow and divine sacrifice. However, Michelangelo’s rendition departs from earlier depictions, presenting a more intimate and emotionally raw portrayal of…
The Creation of Adam (1512), Sistine Chapel, Vatican City. Last Judgment (1537) and Holy Family (Doni Tondo) (1506) come next.
37 years old: The Creation of Adam dates from 1512, and Michelangelo was born in 1475.
The Creation of Adam, Last Judgment, Holy Family (Doni Tondo), The Torment of Saint Anthony, Entombment, Creation of the Sun, Moon, and Plants, The Doni Tondo (framed), The Delphic Sibyl, Pietà and The Holy Family with the infant St. John the Baptist (the Doni tondo). The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 696 works by Michelangelo, dated from 1487 to 1564.
Mostly in Sistine Chapel (Vatican City), St. Peter's Basilica (Vatican City) and Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze (Florence). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1500s: 36 of the 100 works on this page were made then, Holy Family (Doni Tondo) among them.
On this page, the earliest is The Torment of Saint Anthony (1487) and the latest Rondanini Pietà (1564).
Sculpture (19), Sistine chapel (14) and Religious art (13), across the 100 works on this page.
Fresco, for 39 of the 100 works on this page.
High renaissance, judging by the originals on this page.
The Creation of Adam, Last Judgment and Creation of the Sun, Moon, and Plants: the Sistine Chapel, Vatican City holds 55 of the works on this page.
In the hills of Caprese, a boy learned the weight of stone and the grit of marble dust. Born in 1475, Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni spent his early years near Settignano, where his father owned a quarry. The smell of damp earth and the sound of hammers against rock were part of his childhood. He did not start with brushes but with the chisel. His apprenticeship under Domenico Ghirlandaio in Florence brought him into contact with the city's growing interest in the human form, yet it was the Medici gardens that truly shaped his eyes. There, among the ancient Greek and Roman fragments, he studied how light falls across muscle and bone.
His work began to take shape through a deep study of anatomy. He looked at the way a limb carries weight and how skin stretches over a joint. This focus on the physical reality of the body became his primary language. By the time he reached Rome in 1496, he was already carving figures that possessed a heavy, palpable presence. The Pietà, completed in 1499, shows this early ability to make marble appear as soft as flesh, even as it carries the weight of a dead man.
The task of the Sistine Chapel ceiling was not something he sought. He saw himself as a sculptor, someone who pulls life out of stone rather than spreading pigment on plaster. Yet, for four years, he worked in the high reaches of the chapel, painting over 300 figures from the Book of Genesis. The physical toll was visible in his daily life. He spent hours in difficult positions, his body strained by the reach and the heavy application of fresco technique. In panels like The Creation of Adam, the tension is found in the small gap between two fingers, a moment of near-contact that holds the viewer's attention through pure composition.
As time passed, his style moved away from the balanced ideals of the High Renaissance toward something more restless. His later works, such as The Last Judgment on the altar wall, show a shift toward Mannerism. The figures became more elongated and the compositions more crowded and dramatic. This change reflected a shifting spiritual climate in Rome. He continued to work with an intensity that many found overwhelming, often leaving projects unfinished as his mind moved toward new architectural or sculptural problems.
In his later decades, Michelangelo turned much of his attention to the structure of buildings. At age 71, he took over the work on St. Peter's Basilica, altering the plans to create a more massive, imposing design. He also designed the Laurentian Library, where his use of architectural elements broke from tradition, creating a sense of movement within the stone itself. His work on the Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome showed how he could organize a public space using symmetry and classical motifs to guide the eye through the square.
He died in Rome in 1564, leaving behind a legacy written in marble, fresco, and stone. His life was defined by several key roles:
