Capella Palatina, Palermo

Julian Clarence Levi

1903 · Watercolor and graphite on off-white wove paper · The American Wing

Built in the twelfth century, the Capella Palatina was the royal chapel of the Norman kings of Sicily. The chapel, located in Palermo’s Palazzo Reale, has long been a popular tourist destination. A guidebook from Levi’s time celebrated it as "one of the finest works of art of its kind in Italy." As a trained architect, Levi would have been interested in the chapel’s distinctive blending of Romanesque, Saracenic, and Greek influences, particularly in the spectacular Byzantine mosaics that cover the walls and domed ceilings.

Artist

Julian Clarence Levi

Date

1903

Medium

Watercolor and graphite on off-white wove paper

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Bequest of Julian Clarence Levi, 1971