The Panorama is an art form which encircles the spectator with an illusion of continuous space, often in a painted 360ยบ format. Patented by Englishman Robert Barker in 1787, this spectacular visual entertainment flourished throughout the 19th century, mostly in Europe and the United States. The Panorama, Cyclorama, Diorama, Cosmorama and other multitudinous variations on the sensational venue were popular places to spend leisure time and embark upon imagined travels to unfamiliar and significant places in space and time.
Robert Barker (1739 - 1806)
Cross section of a panorama:
(A) Box office and entrance.
(B) Dark corridor and cylindrical center staircase.
(C) Observation platform.
(D) Viewer's field of vision.
(E) 360-degree circular canvas.
(F) Three-dimensional faux terrain elements.
(G) Trompe l'oeil elements painted directly onto canvas.
Cross section of Robert Barker's two-level panorama at Leicester Square.
Colored aquatint by the architect, Robert Mitchell, c. 1793. British Museum, London.
|
