<P> A number of Michelangelo 's works of painting , sculpture and architecture rank among the most famous in existence . His output in these fields was prodigious ; given the sheer volume of surviving correspondence , sketches and reminiscences , he is the best - documented artist of the 16th century . He sculpted two of his best - known works , the Pietà and David , before the age of thirty . Despite holding a low opinion of painting , he also created two of the most influential frescoes in the history of Western art : the scenes from Genesis on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome , and The Last Judgment on its altar wall . His design of the Laurentian Library pioneered Mannerist architecture . At the age of 74 , he succeeded Antonio da Sangallo the Younger as the architect of St. Peter 's Basilica . He transformed the plan so that the western end was finished to his design , as was the dome , with some modification , after his death . </P>
who created the pieta and also painted the ceiling of the sistine chapel
Michelangelo