Along the River During the Qingming Festival by Zhang Zeduan was created at the end of the Song Dynasty, that is in the 12th century. The photo shows a detail of a boat heading towards the bridge. Photo http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/painting/4ptgqmsh.htm, Fu Xinian, ed. Zhongguo meishu quanji, Liang Song huihua, shang (Series Vol. 3), pl. 51, pp. 128-137. The collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing, Public domain https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3507810
Detail from Along the River During the Qingming Festival depicting the city gate. Photo http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/painting/4ptgqmsh.htm, Fu Xinian, ed. Zhongguo meishu quanji, Liang Song huihua, shang (Series Vol. 3), pl. 51, pp. 128-137 (This applies to all five sections). The collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3507819
Vaclav Hollar, a citizen of Prague, was the most famous European artist creating the so-called perspectives, or “long views” of cities. The photo shows the panorama of Prague in 1636. Photo Bohemiae_Moraviae_et_Silesiae_(Merian)_101.jpgBohemiae_Moraviae_et_Silesiae_(Merian)_102.jpg2010-09-13 18:22 (UTC), Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11473040
The Thirty Years’ War cast Hollar first to Cologne, and then to London - where, already known as Wenzeslaus, he gained his followers and made a fortune. The photo presents a panorama of the London Bankside, 1647. Photo: Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10686855
To make the illusion more complete, the so-called staffage: numerous items that created the illusion of three dimensions, were placed in front of the bottom part of the canvas. To add splendour to the panorama of the Scheveningen dunes by Hendrik Mesdag (in the photo), tons of coastal sand, trunks and nets washed up by the sea were placed in front of the painting. Photo: Trojan, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3528113
The spectators were supposed to experience patriotic and sublime sensations. Consequently, in the second half of the 19th century, panoramas featured mainly the great “founding battles” of individual nations, or landscapes recognized as landmarks of given countries.” The Russians ordered panoramas commemorating the battles of Borodino and Sevastopol - the one in the photo, painted by Franz Roubaud. Photo: Rumlin – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8541353
The Arrival of the Hungarians (A magyarok bejövetele) by Árpád Feszty. The 1760 square metres panorama depicts around 2000 people. Photo TiborK, http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=8f6b52a4-0f19-4a4a-80db-4457e49a8a66, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8879391
The Americans treated themselves to the Battle of Gettysburg – painted by Paul Philippoteaux. Photo: Deb Wallevand, http://oldhatcreative.com/blog/my-discovery-cyclorama, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27758060
The trick invented by the Chinese in the 12th century, was patented in Europe in 1787. Panoramic paintings