His first works, however, were sculptures—including the Pieta —which led to a commission for his most famous sculpture, the David.
Michelangelo felt most fulfilled working with marble and stone
so if the Pope hadn’t requested that he paint
the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, it’s likely that Michelangelo
would have continued sculpting and left painting to other artists entirely.
Luckily for the world, Michelangelo complied with the Pope’s request, and after four years of back-breaking, demanding labor, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was completed.
