PANORAMA (Neo-Lat., from Gk. riie, pas, all bpapa, borama, view, from lipap, /loran, to see). A pictorial representation of the whole surrounding landscape as seen from one point. It differs from a painting in that the latter only gives part of the landscape, and aims at artistic effect, whereas the chief aim of the panorama is optical illusion. The first step in the construc tion of a panorama is to obtain sketches of the entire region to be represented; each sketch is a representation of a portion of the landscape in the form of a sector of a circle, with the sketch er's position as a centre, and the horizon for cir cumference. The canvas to which the sketches are to be transferred is hung round the sides of a circular room, and forms the surface of a cylinder, on the inside of which the panorama is painted. The stage from which the picture is viewed is placed in the centre of the room, about 30 feet on every side from the picture; the pic ture itself is fastened above to a strong circular hoop, and, hanging down, has its lower edge fastened to a similar hoop, which is heavily weighted to keep the picture steady. The light is admitted by an aperture in the roof, which is concealed by an awning from the spectators on the stage.
The idea of a panorama was first conceived by the architectural painter Breisig, of Danzig, but the first to put it in execution was Robert Bar ker, a painter, of Edinburgh, to whom the idea occurred while taking a sketch of the city from the top of Arthur Seat. After surmounting
numerous difficulties—one of which was the in vention of a new kind of perspective for the hori zontal lines—he succeeded in producing an ef fective panoramic view of Edinburgh, which was exhibited in that city in 178S, and in London in the following year. The next panorama exe cuted by Barker was a view of London from the top of the Albion mills, which was followed by scenes from the Napoleonic wars. In 1799 the panorama was taken up in Paris, where it was much improved, and whence it was introduced into other European cities. Its use has greatly increased since the Franco-Prussian war of 137t1 71. By the employment of plastic objects, in addition to painting, the painter l'hilippoteaux greatly increased the optical illusion, as was seen in his admirable panorama, "The Siege of Paris," exhibited in 1875. He was also employed in the United States on a panorama of the "Battle of Gettysburg," which was exhibited in New York, 1888-91, and afterwards in other American cities. In recent years many artists of ability have painted panoramas, which are now to he found in most of the chief cities of Europe and the United States. Consult Bapst, Essai sur rhistoire des dioramas (Paris, IS91).