Artist: Michelangelo- Sistine Chapel
between 1511 and 1512
Achim and Eliud appear among the later generations in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus. Their lives belong to a period for which the New Testament provides no individual biographies of these ancestors. Michelangelo included their names within the sequence of lunettes surrounding the Sistine Chapel, representing the long succession of families between the Davidic monarchy and the coming of Christ.
Matthew 1:14 names Achim as the father of Eliud. Scripture provides no further account of their lives, accomplishments, or circumstances. Their presence in the genealogy nevertheless serves an important purpose. The coming of Jesus is presented as the fulfillment of a history extending across many generations, including people who otherwise remain unknown. The genealogy connects the promises made to Abraham and David with the birth of Jesus in Matthew 1:16.
Michelangelo's treatment of the ancestors emphasizes human variety rather than individual historical identity. Figures appear in differing attitudes of rest, reflection, and family interaction. The names in the central inscription identify the generation represented, but not necessarily the individual painted figures. The arrangement gives the lunette its place within a continuous visual account of humanity awaiting the Messiah.
