The Sistine Chapel is one of the most iconic buildings on earth -- but there's a lot you probably don't know about it. In this tour-de-force talk, art historian Elizabeth Lev guides us across the famous building's ceiling and Michelangelo's vital depiction of traditional stories, showing how the painter reached beyond the religious iconography of the time to chart new artistic waters. Five hundred years after the artist painted it, says Lev, the Sistine Chapel forces us to look around as if it were a mirror and ask, "Who am I, and what role do I play in this great theater of life?"

Elizabeth Lev: The unheard story of the Sistine Chapel

The unheard story of the Sistine Chapel

Michelangelo defied traditional art by focusing on the act of creation in the Sistine Chapel, charting new artistic waters.

The Sistine Chapel's ceiling narrates humanity's story, from Genesis to the Last Judgment, inspiring reflection on our roles in life.

Despite controversy, the Sistine Chapel remains a testament to the universal language of human form and the pursuit of excellence.