The chapel where important papal ceremonies are held is Michelangelo's masterpiece, a milestone in the history of Western art. In 1508, the redoubtable Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to fresco the more than 10,000 square ft of the Sistine Chapel's ceiling, a task that took four years. Michelangelo's subject was the story of humanity before the coming of Christ, depicted in nine main panels. The ceiling was cleaned and restored in the early 1990s and is now vibrantly colored, a startling contrast to the dark and veiled tones known for so many years.