Description
The Creation of the Sun and Moon is a scene from the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, painted by Michelangelo in 1511: God appears twice in one field, on the right pointing with outspread arms to the Sun and the Moon, on the left flying away into the depth of the scene towards a green plant. The original is a fresco in the plaster high up on the vault. Our painter paints it for you by hand in oils on canvas, in 4 landscape sizes from 160 x 75 to 240 x 110 cm or made to measure, and before dispatch we send you a photograph of your finished painting.
| Title: | The Creation of the Sun and Moon |
| Other titles: | La creazione degli astri · Die Erschaffung von Sonne und Mond |
| Painter: | Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564) |
| Year painted: | 1511 |
| Original size: | about 280 cm x 570 cm (height x width) |
| Original technique: | Fresco |
| Painting style: | High Renaissance |
| Located at: | Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums, Vatican City |
| Our reproduction: | Hand-painted oil on canvas, 4 sizes or made to measure |
The Creation of the Sun and Moon – Michelangelo
What does The Creation of the Sun and Moon show?
Against a pale grey sky two figures of God are in flight, both wrapped in a rose-violet mantle. The one on the right turns towards us, the one on the left shows us his back, so the scene reads like two moments of a single movement.
The God on the right has a white beard and wild grey hair, his brows drawn into a stern frown. He flings his arms out to both sides: one rises towards the large golden-brown Sun above the centre, the other points to the right, where English Wikipedia places the faint Moon. Small nude children or angels shelter under his mantle.
The figure on the left flies away from us, deep into the scene. We see grey hair, a straining back under the mantle and two bare soles turned towards the viewer. His outstretched arm points to the lower left corner, where a green bush grows, standing for the world of plants. Fragments of neighbouring painted figures reach into the top-left and bottom-left corners.
What does the story of the Sun, Moon and plants mean?
The scene comes from the Book of Genesis, from the account of the six days of Creation. Michelangelo joins the third and fourth days in one field: the plants that cover the earth, and the two lights of the sky, the Sun and the Moon.
That is why God is painted twice. On the right he turns to the heavens, where the Sun and Moon come into being; on the left he is already hurrying towards the earth, which will soon be green.
English Wikipedia points out that the abstract folds of drapery underline the flight of both figures. On the ceiling this is the second scene in the Creation sequence, straight after the separation of light from darkness.
Why is The Creation of the Sun and Moon so well known?
Of the three scenes that show God creating heaven and earth, this is the central and the largest. The field measures about 280 x 570 cm and belongs to the large fields that alternate with smaller ones along the ceiling.
It has even made it onto postage stamps: Vatican City issued one in 1994, and India in 1975. Most people remember it for showing one figure twice, from the front and from behind.
If you would like to read more, there is a Wikipedia article on this fresco, written in English and devoted to this very scene, its figures and the stamps.
Where is the original, and how was it made?
The original is on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, which visitors see as part of the Vatican Museums. Michelangelo painted the ceiling for Pope Julius II between 1508 and 1512, and this scene dates from 1511.
He painted the nine Genesis stories in reverse order, working from the entrance towards the altar. The Creation scenes therefore came later, when his handling had grown broader and looser. The first half of the ceiling was unveiled in August 1511 and the whole ceiling on 31 October 1512.
Between 1980 and 1989 the ceiling was restored, removing candle soot and old varnish, so its colours are brighter today. Our painter works from an older photograph taken before the restoration, which shows cracks and muted, darkened tones, so the colours of your painting are subdued too.
This scene or another work by Michelangelo?
The Creation of the Sun and Moon is a canvas painting for people drawn to movement: two figures in flight, a great golden disc and plenty of open sky around them. Warm rose and grey tones keep it calm on a long wall.
On the ceiling the scene has neighbours that we also paint. Before it comes The Separation of Light from Darkness, and after it The Separation of the Earth and Waters; together the three show God on the first days of Creation.
If you prefer people to sky, you will find Adam and Eve in The Creation of Eve, or the crowd fleeing the rising water in The Deluge. The full set of famous Michelangelo paintings we paint to order is on the Michelangelo page.
How is our painting made from the fresco?
Let us be plain: the original is a fresco painted into the plaster of the Sistine ceiling, while ours is a hand-painted oil painting reproduction on canvas. The painter begins only after you order.
First he draws both figures of God, the disc of the Sun and the bush onto the canvas, leaving as much open sky between them as on the ceiling. Then he lays in the pale grey ground and builds up, layer by layer, the mantles in rose and violet, the skin in warm ochre and the golden-brown Sun.
Oil has a slightly deeper sheen than matt fresco, and brush marks appear when light skims the surface from the side.
Which size will suit your wall?
In short: 160 x 75 cm above a sofa or a sideboard, 180 x 85 cm above a dining table or in a hall, and 200 x 97 cm for a large, empty wall.
We paint the scene in 4 landscape sizes (width x height): 160 x 75, 180 x 85, 200 x 97 and 240 x 110 cm. The fresco itself measures about 280 x 570 cm on the ceiling, far larger than any of our sizes; our largest size is 240 x 110 cm.
As a painting for the living room it works best above a long sofa or a low cabinet, with room to spare on either side. Keep the lower edge a good 20 cm above the furniture, and the painting no wider than it.
Is another size or a frame possible?
Yes. If you need different proportions, we adapt the composition so that both figures of God and the Sun stay whole; only the ratio of width to height changes. Send your preferred width and height for a price and a date.
The long canvas leaves us rolled, stretched on a stretcher bar or already framed. Stretching and framing are done by our workshop in Slovenia, which prepares every order for the journey. The moulding is picked in our 3D app, made only for choosing frames; a view on your own wall is a separate service.
A warm wooden frame or a slim moulding in antique gold suits the rose mantles and the golden Sun.
When will the painting arrive?
Making it takes 15 to 45 working days from the confirmation of your order. When the painting is finished we send you a photograph of it, and any changes you ask for are made before dispatch.
Within the EU, Slovenia included, it travels without customs duties, and every order is covered by our returns policy.
It makes a lovely gift for someone who once stood craning their neck in the Sistine Chapel, or for any lover of the Renaissance. If you do not know the size, a wall art voucher is a good choice, letting them decide for themselves.
Frequently asked questions
Where can the real fresco be seen?
On the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, among the Genesis scenes along the centre of the vault.
Why does God appear twice?
Because two days of Creation share one field: the Sun and Moon on the right, the plants on the left.
Will I receive a print?
No. You receive a hand-painted copy, made with brush and oil paint on canvas.
How large is the fresco really?
About 280 x 570 cm, bigger than any of our sizes; the largest of them is 240 x 110 cm.
Can I order a different size?
Yes, send us the width and height, and we will reply with a price and a making time.
How long will I wait for it?
Allow 15 to 45 working days; before it leaves us, we email you a photograph of the finished work.
Is it right for a bedroom?
Yes, especially above a wide bed, where the landscape format fills a long wall.
Why are the colours so muted?
Our painter works from a photograph taken before the restoration, with darkened tones and visible cracks.
- Subject: God twice in one field: on the right he points to the Sun and Moon, on the left he flies towards a green bush.
- Original: fresco, 1511, Sistine Chapel ceiling, Vatican; the field measures about 280 x 570 cm.
- Ours: oil on canvas, painted by hand as a Michelangelo reproduction, in 4 landscape sizes: 160 x 75, 180 x 85, 200 x 97 and 240 x 110 cm, or made to measure.
- Worth knowing: the central and largest of the three Creation scenes on the ceiling; it appeared on a Vatican stamp in 1994.
