The Gettysburg Cyclorama Open Again

Today's Washington Post features a story on a major work by the ninteteenth-century painter, Paul Philippoteaux (French, 1826-1923).

In 1884, the painter was commisioned to create a massive dedication to the Battle of Gettysburg for the site's visitors center. Under rennovation for several years, the Cyclorama, as the piece is known, is open to the public:

On Friday, after a five-year and $15 million restoration effort, the panoramic Battle of Gettysburg cyclorama will reopen to the public. Decades of neglect, cropping and overpainting have been fixed. The painting has been restored to its original 377-foot-by-42-foot size and installed in a new rotunda.

The Cyclorama was considered a major innovation in visitor experience by placing a visitor in the center of the battle.

Philippoteaux came to America after an impressive education at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris and in the studios of Leon Cogniet (French, 1794-1880) and Alexandre Cabanal (French, 1883-1829).