"The Last Judgment" by Michelangelo (1536-1541). In a poem written for a friend in 1509, the artist griped about the long hours laying on his back: "My brush, above me all the time, dribbles paint so my face makes a fine floor for droppings!" In the end, the Renaissance master was able to cleverly express his frustration -- and have some fun at the pope's expense -- when he took on the "Last Judgment" fresco for the altar wall of the chapel. In the center of the expansive painting, Michelangelo's horridly eyeless face sags, an empty suit of flagellated skin, from Saint Bartholomew's hand. The Renaissance master imposed himself on the martyred saint, who is waiting to discover if he is off to heaven or hell after a grueling trial of faith. It was very creative of him to create his work based on a poem.