Editor’s note: This story was written before the Rothko Chapel closed due to Hurricane Beryl damage. The team is working on restoration efforts and will reopen the sanctuary at a future date. We believe the Rothko Chapel’s importance transcends its current status and hope you will enjoy reading about it as we eagerly await its return.

If you’ve ever been to the Louvre in Paris, you know that the hottest spot in the museum to be, for better or for worse, is directly in front of the famous Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci’s Italian Renaissance masterpiece, the most written about and famous painting in the world. Even if you’re lucky enough to make it to the Louvre to see it in person, you’re likely not going to get that close due to the crowds in front of it—unless you’re down to do some Bonnaroo-style crowd surfing.

People often travel from all over the world to view pieces of art, whether it’s the Mona Lisa, Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment in Vatican City’s Sistine Chapel, or Picasso’s Guernica in Madrid. They’ve come to define the museums and buildings they’re housed in.

That led us to thinking, what is the piece of art that defines Houston? Is there a work of art here that could be called… Houston’s Mona Lisa? With the help of Rice University associate professor of art history Leo Costello, we went on an exploration of the top pieces of art in Houston.

The Turning Road by André Derain

This masterpiece by French artist André Derain, a major avant-garde painter from the Fauvism movement, sports vibrant colors that seem to jump out of the painting. The landscape portrait, housed in the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), is a representation of landscape found in the French village of L’Estaque. Although the painting has gone on quite a global tour through the years, exhibited in cities like Paris, London, Marseilles, and Washington, DC, its permanent home is right here in Houston. “It, to me, is as good a Derain as there is anywhere in the world,” Costello says.

The Rothko Chapel

This nondenominational chapel founded by John and Dominique de Menil functions as both a spot for solemn reflection and a place to view some of the best works of art in the city. Commissioned by the Menils in 1964 and opened to the public in 1971, the chapel features 14 monumental paintings in solemn and varying shades of black by renowned artist Mark Rothko. More than 100,000 people visit the chapel every year, and many of them say they end up having spiritual moments inside due to the contemplative nature of the art as well as the design of the building.

“I think the goals there for [Rothko] were, by and large, artistic ones, and to explore those kinds of tonalities in that light condition, and to work on that kind of scale, which he hadn’t had the chance to do,” Costello says of the works in the chapel. Note: As of press time, the chapel was closed due to Hurricane Beryl damage.

Sheerness as Seen from the Nore by J. M. W. Turner

This piece by English Romantic painter Joseph Mallord William Turner is a masterclass in landscape painting. While many in this genre are praised for their pastoral compositions, Turner, a lover of the ocean, often painted turbulent landscapes, like the churning seas depicted in this piece.

“It’s a really good example of Turner’s early development, and it’s a really dynamic and interesting picture,” Costello says.

Although the artist produced quite a lot of paintings, not many are on view in the United States. Costello says there are a couple of Turners in Dallas, one in Fort Worth, and one in Chicago, but it’s slim pickings in this area if you’re a Turner fan. We’d like to argue that the MFAH’s is one of the best ones on view stateside.

The stained glass windows at Trinity United Methodist Church

The eyes are the window to the soul, but are the stained glass windows at Third Ward’s historic Trinity United Methodist Church the eyes to Houston’s soul? Founded in 1848 by enslaved Houstonians, it’s one of the oldest Black congregations in Houston. And today, Trinity United Methodist is home to some of the most breathtaking stained glass in the city.

Created in the 1990s by artist Jean Lacy, the stunningly colorful and intricate windows tell the story of the Bible as well as the history of the civil rights movement. In addition to your typical biblical characters, there are also depictions of icons like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., James Farmer, Harriet Tubman, and Sojourner Truth.

“They’re beautiful, they’re just gorgeous,” Costello says of the windows. “It’s a great example of a really powerful community art project right in the middle of Third Ward.”

The John T. Biggers murals at Texas Southern University

When it comes to viewing world-class art in Houston, sometimes it’s best to step outside of museums. Some of the most important works of art in the city can be viewed at Texas Southern University, namely three murals by celebrated African American muralist John T. Biggers, who created pieces critical of racial and economic injustice. He was the founding chairman of the art department at TSU.

“[Biggers] really became this kind of foundational figure here, and I just don’t think people pay enough attention to that side of Houston generally and the really long history that TSU has,” Costello says.

So what’s the ultimate Houston Mona Lisa?

While each of these works of art adds much depth and breadth to Houston’s art scene, Costello says that the clear winner for him—and what we would like to now be known as the Mona Lisa of Houston—is the Rothko Chapel.

“You often have a really powerful experience in that space, and I just don’t know of anything else in the world that’s like that,” Costello says. “There are no other Rothkos like that, and no way that you can view things like that.”

For Costello, the magic behind the Rothko Chapel and what makes it globally unique is that it’s a physical process. “You’re in there, and you have an experience that kind of develops over time,” he says. “You feel different when you come out of it.”

Indeed, most people come out of that experience feeling much more calm and relaxed, unlike, for example, how most people feel after squeezing their way out of the crowds in front of the Mona Lisa. And it’s proof that there’s no need to leave the country to experience life-changing art.

We wish the folks at the Rothko Chapel the best of luck in restoring the sanctuary after the hurricane. We can’t wait to be back inside its serene walls to once again experience its magic.