Impressionists at the Royal Palace

Following the captivating photographic narrative that recounted the most significant events of the past hundred years of our history through the exhibition by Elliott Erwitt, the Federico II Foundation now presents a journey through Impressionist culture, further strengthening the Royal Palace of Palermo’s international role as a major center for cultural exchange. The exhibition will be open to visitors in the Duca di Montalto Rooms from 12 February 2026, offering an important journey into a pictorial culture that, at the end of the nineteenth century, marked the beginning of several artistic movements.

Impressionism was not a homogeneous movement; however, its artists predominantly painted outdoors, en plein air, using contrasts of light and shadow and strong, intense colors that they captured on canvas, conveying the painter’s sensations when confronted with nature. The group formed in Paris during the second half of the nineteenth century and included major figures such as Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissarro, Auguste Renoir, and Alfred Sisley. The term “Impressionism” arose following an article by art critic Louis Leroy on Monet’s painting Impression, Sunrise, which he harshly criticized, describing it as unfinished and capable only of conveying an “impression.” The movement later spread throughout the world, influencing the development of modern art.

Looking at the important works of Sicilian vedutism included in the collections of the Royal Palace of Palermo, it is easy to see how Impressionism—and in particular the suggestions coming from Normandy—could be integrated into our own history. Like the French Impressionists, Sicilian vedutist painters drew inspiration from nature and everyday life, depicting genre scenes and city views, and focused on the representation of light and color, capturing the beauty and atmospheres of Sicily with close attention to detail and evoking emotions through landscapes. In doing so, they also highlighted, from another perspective, Sicily’s history as a center of Norman power in the Middle Ages. Michele Catti and Francesco Lojacono, in particular, had a significant connection with Impressionism.

With this exhibition, the Federico II Foundation embarks on a new cultural venture that will recount—through both classical and innovative approaches—the history of one of the most important artistic movements in the history of art, taking a further step toward making the seat of the Sicilian Parliament a vibrant and experimental forge of international culture.

On. Gaetano Galvagno

Presidente dell’Assemblea Regionale Siciliana e della Fondazione Federico II