Cyclorama of the Battle of Gettysburg
| The Battle of Gettysburg (detail) | |
|---|---|
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| Artist | Paul Philippoteaux |
| Year | 1883 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 13 m × 115 m (42 ft × 377 ft) |
| Location | Museum and Visitor Center, Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania |
The Battle of Gettysburg, also known as the Gettysburg Cyclorama, is a cyclorama painting by the French artist Paul Philippoteaux depicting Pickett's Charge, the climactic Confederate attack on the Union forces during the Battle of Gettysburg on July 3, 1863. Four versions were painted, only one original remains in Gettysburg, the Wake Forest version being an elaborate copy, they are the only surviving Gettysburg cycloramas in the United States.
The first version of the painting, completed in 1883 and originally exhibited in Chicago, was lost. It was thought to have been rediscovered in 1965 and a painting was purchased by a group of North Carolina investors in 2007 for an undisclosed amount. The version they discovered was actually a copy by one E.J. Austen who assisted Paul Philippoteaux on the originals. Until November 2005, the second painting, originally exhibited in the Cyclorama Building in Boston, was on display at the Gettysburg National Military Park. It was removed for restoration work and the exhibition was reopened September 2008 in the new Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center. The third version, exhibited in Philadelphia, is known to have been destroyed. The location of the fourth version, originally exhibited in Brooklyn, is unknown.
The painting is the work of French artist Paul Dominique Philippoteaux. It depicts Pickett's Charge, the failed infantry assault that was the climax of the Battle of Gettysburg. The painting is a cyclorama, a type of 360° cylindrical painting. The intended effect is to immerse the viewer in the scene being depicted, often with the addition of foreground models and life-sized replicas to enhance the illusion. Among the sites documented in the painting are Cemetery Ridge, the Angle, and the "High-water mark of the Confederacy". The completed original painting was 22 feet (6.7 m) high and 279 feet (85 m) in circumference. The version that hangs in Gettysburg, a recent (2005) restoration of the version created for Boston, is 42 feet (13 m) high and 377 feet (115 m) in circumference.
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