Artist: Michelangelo- Sistine Chapel
circa between 1508 and 1512
Eleazar and Matthan belong to the final generations preceding the birth of Jesus in Matthew's genealogy. Their names appear near the conclusion of the ancestral sequence, where the long history of the descendants of Abraham and David approaches its fulfillment. Michelangelo placed these generations among the lunettes of the Sistine Chapel, presenting them through the ordinary experiences of family life.
Matthew 1:15 identifies Eleazar as the father of Matthan, who became the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Scripture provides no additional biographical details about Eleazar or Matthan. Their place in the genealogy demonstrates the continuity of the family line leading to Jesus. These final generations bring Matthew's account toward the birth of the one he identifies as the Christ (Matthew 1:16).
The painting belongs to the final portion of Michelangelo's ancestral sequence. As elsewhere in the lunettes, the artist does not attempt to provide historically recognizable portraits of the named individuals. Instead, he uses figures gathered within the curved space above the chapel window to convey the continuing life of successive generations. The inscription gives the painting its biblical identity, while the human figures express the broader theme of expectation and continuity.
