Interior of the Chapel of Saint Julien, near Rouen, Normandy c. 1818

John Sell Cotman’s “Interior of the Chapel of Saint Julien, near Rouen, Normandy” (c. 1818) is a delicate watercolor drawing that captures the architectural grandeur of a Norman chapel. The artist’s use of soft washes and meticulous lines highlights the chapel’s vaulted ceiling and the interplay of light and shadow through its arched windows. The drawing conveys a sense of quiet contemplation and a reverence for the past, characteristic of Cotman’s approach to architectural subjects.