The Exit of Ruggero I, King of Sicily, from the Palazzo Reale following his coronation

Giuseppe Sciuti was born in 1834 in Catania, Sicily, and later studied in Naples and Florence, the cultural centers of Italy in the 1800s. His work was influenced by that of his compatriot Domenico Morelli. Known for his panorama and historic paintings, his compositions were praised for their effects of light and shade, and for their draftsmanship and rich coloration. According to Maria Accascina, Sciuti's work shows the "plastic solidarity of a Piero della Francesca and the noble realism of Andrea Mantegna" (quoted in M. Calvesi and A. Corsi, Giuseppe Scuti, Nuoro, 1989, intro.). The Exit of Ruggero I, King of Sicily, from the Palazzo Reale following his coronation was Sciuti's final entry for the competition that resulted in his being awarded the prestigious commission to paint the mural for the Teatro Massimo in Palermo that was completed in 1894, now in the collection of the Museo dell' Opera, Palermo. The commission was awarded to Sciuti in 1893 and it marked his most significant public presentation. Palermo was a vital center for the arts, and the Teatro Massimo was to be a powerful architectural symbol for the city. The final painting measured almost 1200 x 1400 cm. and was a focal point to the interior of the majestic theater which was the third largest in Europe when it was completed.

Palermo had enjoyed a rich history dating back as far as the 8th century BC when the Phoenicians founded it as an important port. It flourished under Norman rule (1072-1194) when it served as capital of the Kingdom of Sicily. In the present painting, Sciuti portrays Ruggero I leaving the Palazzo Reale with an escort of cavalry following his coronation as King of Sicily. To the right, Sciuti depicts the Palazzo Reale (built by the Normans) with its porticals and loggias, and the tower and mountain of the Conca d'Oro beyond. This composition was based on the description given by Michele Amari in Biblioteca arabo-sicula published in 1881, which describes the royal cornotation with its dignitaries, potentates and citizens who had assembled from all the provinces for the coronation in 1130. His depiction of the edifice of the Palazzo is also taken from this source and that of Edrisi in Soria dei musulmani in Sicily.

Fig. 10 Giuseppe Scuiti