The Ancestors of Christ: Abiud and Eliakim - Michelangelo Buonarroti
Archival giclée
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Description
A fine art print of Michelangelo's fresco from the Sistine Chapel, depicting the ancestors of Christ within a lunette.
This composition forms part of the extensive decorative programme Michelangelo executed for the Sistine Chapel ceiling between 1508 and 1512. Located within the lunettes above the windows, the series depicts the ancestors of Christ as listed in the Gospel of Matthew. This specific section features the names Abiud and Eliakim inscribed upon a central tablet, flanked by two distinct figures. To the left, a woman sits in profile, cradling a child. Her posture is relaxed, yet her gaze is directed away from the viewer, suggesting a contemplative state. Her garments are rendered in muted tones, with a focus on the weight and fold of the fabric. To the right, a male figure is seated, wrapped in a heavy cloak, with a child partially visible behind him. His expression is stern, and his body is turned away from the central inscription, creating a sense of psychological distance between the two sides of the lunette. Michelangelo employs a restricted palette, typical of his work in the chapel, which relies on earthy ochres, soft greys, and muted browns. The architectural framing of the lunette dictates the arrangement of the figures, forcing them into a curved space that the artist navigates with anatomical precision. The central tablet serves as a structural anchor, separating the two groups while maintaining the symmetry of the overall design. The figures possess a sculptural quality, a hallmark of Michelangelo's approach to painting, where the human form is treated with the same volume and mass as his marble carvings. This work demonstrates his ability to integrate complex theological narratives into the rigid constraints of architectural space, providing a quiet, humanised counterpoint to the more dramatic scenes found elsewhere on the ceiling.
Return policy
Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
Shipping
We ship worldwide, printing at the production hub nearest to your delivery address. Delivery times and costs vary by destination — you'll see the options available to you at checkout.
Manufacturing
Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
The Ancestors of Christ: Abiud and Eliakim - Michelangelo Buonarroti
Our Features
Designed for Lasting Impact
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
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Artist Biography
Michelangelo
He was apprenticed to Domenico Ghirlandaio at thirteen, the standard arrangement for a Florentine boy showing artistic ability. Ghirlandaio ran the largest workshop in the city and was a master of fresco technique. Michelangelo left after one year, claiming there was nothing more to learn. He moved to the sculpture garden of Lorenzo de' Medici, where he studied ancient Roman fragments and attracted the patronage of the Medici family. He was sixteen.
The Pieta was finished when he was twenty-four. David when he was twenty-nine. Both before the age of thirty. He carved David from a block of marble that two previous sculptors had already attempted and abandoned: a narrow, shallow piece that dictated the figure's proportions and made the engineering problem as interesting as the artistic one.
Pope Julius II commissioned the Sistine Chapel ceiling in 1508. Michelangelo did not want the job. He considered himself a sculptor, not a painter, and suspected the commission was a political manoeuvre by rivals to set him up for public failure. He fired his assistants, built his own scaffolding, and painted the entire 65-foot ceiling himself over four years. The image of him lying on his back is a myth; he stood, bending backwards, paint dripping into his eyes.
He outlived both Leonardo and Raphael by more than forty years. His last significant work was the redesign of St Peter's Basilica in Rome. He took no fee.
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