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 work progresses, I am disturbed more and more, the more people I add to my study. Granted, it is only curiosity that drives them to gather around me, but it is often almost impossible for me to keep from striking out at the crowd of boys who have no concept of ​​restraint. They call my painting “una galanteria”, because they recognize everything they see in the real world depicted in the painting.

September 23: In the morning I painted in the chapel, and in the afternoon at the molo, where I deemed it necessary to finish my study as well as it could be done in the short span of time, as I realize that it would be no good coming back again. The crowd of people was so great that I even at one point had to ask the priests, who sat outside the Church where I myself was sitting, to help chase away the people and especially the boys. It did help for a moment because the priests are the only ones who are really respected, but a moment later it was just as bad, and since it was really hot weather, I was almost suffocating. That the onlookers were in general agreement in praising my work did nothing to help my situation, since they at the same time hung over my shoulders to get a better look. A boy even wiped off a whole portion of the colour on my palette with his jersey as he bent over me and with his finger showed his friends an object on the painting that they recognized and therefore found interesting. (the above quotes come from Martinus Rørbye’ travel journal mr.ktdk.dk, Sources for Danish Art History, New Carlsberg Foundation).