What you are looking at
Adam reclines on a bare green slope, one arm stretched out. God, carried by a cloud of figures inside a billowing red cloak, reaches back. Their fingers almost touch, and the tiny gap between them is the center of the whole image.
Why it is famous
It is one of the scenes from Genesis that Michelangelo painted in fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel between 1508 and 1512, for Pope Julius II. The almost touching hands have become one of the most copied details in art.
How big is The Creation of Adam?
The Creation of Adam measures 280 × 570 cm (110.2 × 224.4 in), without its frame. Its surface is about 38 times the area of the Mona Lisa.
Compare it with other paintings
Where to see it
The Sistine Chapel is the last stop of the Vatican Museums route. Photography is not allowed inside the chapel, and you are expected to stay quiet.
Museums move and lend paintings. Check the museum's website before you travel to see one work. See all famous paintings in Rome and Vatican City.
Also at the Vatican Museums
Frequently asked questions
Who painted The Creation of Adam?
Michelangelo painted The Creation of Adam in c. 1508 to 1512.
Where is The Creation of Adam?
The Creation of Adam is in the Vatican Museums, Vatican City, Vatican City.
How big is The Creation of Adam?
280 × 570 cm (110.2 × 224.4 in). Its surface is about 38 times the area of the Mona Lisa.
What is The Creation of Adam made with?
Fresco.
Sources: Wikidata Q500242; Wikipedia, "The Creation of Adam". Checked October 17, 2026. How we check.