Beschreibung:

“Udsigt over Palermo med Monte Catalfano”. View over Palermo, in the background Monte Catalfano. Signed and dated M. R. Palermo 1840. Oil on paper laid on canvas. 39.5×57.5 cm. Kursiv: Thorvaldsens Museum, A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of Martinus Rørbye no. 180. Exhibited: Kunstforeningen, “Fortegnelse over M. Rørbyes arbejder”, 1905 no. 111. Provenance: Captain Konow (1905). This must be Henri Konow (1862–1939), who was appointed Captain in 1900, later Rear Admiral and in 1921 Vice Admiral. He was the last Governor-general of the Danish West Indies (1916–1917) and Defence and Foreign Minister under the Danish Prime Minister Otto Liebe in 1920 during the Easter Crisis. On Rørbye's first major trip abroad from 1834 to 1837, which included a long stay in Italy, he dearly missed Rose Frederikke Schiøtt (1810–1859), whom he had become engaged to before his departure. He therefore often suffered from a serious case of homesickness. During the period between Rørbye’s return and his second trip to Italy from 1839 to 1841, they were married, and Rose joined him on the second trip, where she also gave birth to their first child in Italy. Hence the social life on the trip played out quite differently than on the first tour, which suited Rørbye quite well. On the first trip to Italy, he did not make it to Sicily, but on the second trip he did make it to the island, and he became infatuated with Palermo especially. Although the crowds and the hustle and bustle around him while he painted annoyed him. About the making of the present painting from Palermo and the difficulties with it, but also about his joy of the city, Rørbye writes in his diary: 18 September 1840: Painted in the morning, first at the cathedral, and later at the chapel. In the afternoon I went out to the molo (pier) and began painting a study of the mountains and the street. This was in the reverse direction of what I had previously done where I faced Monte Pellegrino instead [here Rørbye refers to the painting “View of the harbour in Palermo towards Monte Pellegrino”, no. 181 in the inventory. LACMA, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, inv. no. M.90.78]. This may become just as interesting, but also just as challenging in terms of the number of people that always surround me. 19 September: In the morning I was first at the cathedral and then in the chapel, where I today started on the ceiling, which is very difficult work since you are only able to make out some of the very intricate work for about 1½ hours around noon each day. In the afternoon I painted the mountains in the study of the molo. 20 September: In the afternoon: I continued my study at the molo and was surrounded by quite a number of people since it was the day of rest. In the evening, Rose and I walked in the wonderfully cool weather that has blown in during the last couple of days. 21 September: The sky was overcast in the morning, so I could do nothing at the cathedral and spent the whole morning in the chapel where I had plenty to do just with painting details. In the afternoon: I painted a little on the study of the molo. Today, I have bought a very beautiful goatskin that I think will make a beautiful addition to my sofa when I come home. We have in this way gathered some memories from Palermo, which has truly become a dear city to me. We will probably feel a little empty in several ways once we have left this adorable place. However, all of these feelings can be replaced except for the pleasure caused by the excess of glorious fruits, which both Rose and I adore. Above all else, I place the melons, which I have not tasted better or found in greater quantity and at such a low price in any other place than Sicily. The taste is a pleasure that I have since then had to let go of, yet I will often think with longing of these glorious things. September 22: Today, I was first at the cathedral and later at the chapel, and in the afternoon, I was again at the molo, where almost every day, as my