In 1792 the Scottish painter Robert Barker invented a new popular entertainment - the "panorama". Il term appears, in fact, first, in an ad posted bythe same Baker on the Times di London of that year to advertise un new show type: la panoramic view of the city, performed in such a precise and detailed way that viewers could have identified the street or even the building in which they lived.
It is a new idea that for its realism and involvement s'impose immediately - starting from Nineteenth century - as a between forms of entertainment emerging nelle major European and American cities. The drive towards economic and social change affecting cities is the result of industrialization, the consequent urbanization, the triumph of technology and the propensity of the new wealthy classes to consume. All factors that encourage new forms of showmanship popular based on visual representation.
And in these new and increasingly populous show-cities, they loom large – it must be said – i "views”: huge realistic paintings set up is in circular environments with 360° views capable of surrounding the viewer is su mega boards horizontally panoramic, but exceptionally large sometimes even higher than 6 thousand m2.
The response from the public is enthusiastic, the success of the "panoramas" is huge. Stephan oetterman – German scholar of literature and entertainment culture - which he dedicated in the 70s of the last century the only one Research existing on this ancient form of spectacle: The panorama: history of a mass medium, estimates that at least 400 "landscapes" were exhibited in European and American cities during the XNUMXth century they were able to attract overall the incredible number of about 100 million visitors.
Initially, the "panoramas" are handcrafted products, the result of a patient workro that could also last a very long time time. But, in light of the triumph popular and related opportunity for big profits, of course, change everything. born a real industry. La fast marketing of the "landscapes" leads to a rationalized and organized manufacturing: they are born in the big cities – such as London and Paris – of the “assembly lines” that allow you to churn out great “landscapes” within a few months.
In the wake of this new “business", he comes to constitute a Milan the “Italian anonymous company of the panorama” With the purpose of also start nella Lombard capital la new industry byEntertainment. While this happens, it is stated, a international level, a new large model-container-catalyst bypopular entertainment: the universal exposition. Namely, glarge demonstrations partners. - a bit' trade fairs a bit' technical-scientific-cultural exhibitions – which they begin to hold in the most important capitals of the world, and which respond to a double need nationalistic: to exalt national productions and glorify the organizing country as a power of high rank.
For Italy, theoccasion is the ExpUniversal position to be held in Turin in 1884. And the “Italian anonymous company of the panorama” don't waste time, e aboutne like attraction a "panorama" that represents and brings to life the emotion of a historic battle for national identity and pride: the defense of the Garibaldians of the Roman Republic from the attack of the French during the spring of 1849. The chosen one to realize the work is the Belgian painter Leon Philippet, considered at the time as one of the major artists of "landscapes".
Il Philippet will work hard. First in Rome, where uusing a ratio of 1/10 and as an observation point the viewpoint of Villa Savorelli - place on the Janiculum Hill where Garibaldi's troops resided in the days of thesiege – portfinish it the preparatory work in the summer of 1882. Then in Milan, where - based on the job already done a Rome - performs the ultimate landscape painting. Obviously, not da single. support the large format of the work – 1800m2 by 120 in length - Philippet è flanked by a dozen collaborators. The whole is completed in the summer of 1883.
The view" of Philippet will have But short life. Just finished, will be exhibited in a building - specially built - at the Foro Bonaparte in Milan, therefore transferred to Turin for the Universal Exposition. Later, after a European tour that will take him to Vienna, Brussels and London, the glarge canvas will conclude his days in the hold of the ship that carried her Buenos Aires, towards an overseas exhibition which never happened. However,curiously – in another form – will survive, is exactly thanks a another technique of representation – also born in the XNUMXth century - is its with its to appear had contribuito (and much) to accelerate the sunset and disappearance of the "landscapes": the photography.
However, despite the short duration of his parable e theinherent fragility of the matterconstitutive, theThe “panorama” genre – exemplified through the events oflto reconstructionRomanian by Philippet - can represent, within the history of mass media/entertainment, un interesting forerunner. Definible also as example di "archaeotechnology" e "archaeo-virtuality" with respect to technological developmentdigital of the current forms bypopular entertainment.
Vision of kinship not at all educated byl already mentioned Stephan Oettermann, ahe deserves the credit for having first understood the importance of the "panorama" genre, but having interpreted it to a limited extent as the manifestation of a "singularity" in the context of the history of the mass media: a sort of unrepeatable phenomenon born from a certain metropolitan cultural context of the XNUMXth century.
Of a completely different opinion, instead, other scholars who later dealt with it - mostly incidentally - of the panorama format. Tracking downvi a clear time line is lo would join both in the past and to the future forms of visual representation. At cto start twigs Renaissance, with the example of realization by Baldassarre Peruzzi of the "Hall of Perspectives" di Villa Farnesina in Rome, but also di others many frescoes in palaces, rooms, villas, etc., also made in the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries. All works performed with the aim of transport the stupid observer in an artificial world. And ending with the technological installations of the XNUMXth and XNUMXst centuries, against which it would result the common characteristic of "immersion" is clear, ie the fact that both the "panorama" and the modern forms of visual representation aim to break the internal distance that separates the observer from the observed image. In short, aimmersion in front of the “landscapes” is the spectators of the time – according to some witnesses - they experimented with the feeling "just as if they were standing in the midst of a terrible battle…
The only one which instead focused specifically on the bond between the forms of popular entertainment of the XNUMXth century and today's videocultures (virtual reality, videogames, etc.), is Andrew Darley, a scholar in the field of visual culture and author of the classic media and cultural studies “digital videocultures”. Which he claims that the relationship (and relative relationship of descent) base yourself on a profound common characterization: the power of illusion and representation.
In short, he concludes darley, the methods of current digital videoculture share – for the most part – the same cultural space as past popular entertainment techniques. In particular, whether it is a 3D film or a "panorama" of a pitched battle, the primary concern of the representation is always the same: to take possession and maintain control over the viewer's gaze, to excite, solicit and stimulate their senses.
Epilogue
In 1967, in the Vittoriano archive, they came by chance rifind some old photographic plates. Upon examination, it was discovered that they portrayed a panorama of the Gianicolo in the period of the Repubblica Romana of 1849 with scenes of a battle. It was the photographic reproduction of the now forgottento "panorama" by Leon Philippet. From the slabs they were printed of the copies. One was donated to the American Academy in Rome, owner of Villa Savorelli (now Villa Aurelia), headquarters of Garibaldi's headquarters during the battle. Another one a copy was, instead, placed in the Library of modern and contemporary history in Rome, where è still. Mail at the entrance welcomes visitors. And even if "small" compared to the original "panorama" (5 meters in length vs the 120 of Philippet's work), even if a little blurry and a little confused in the image, is still able - in tuning with a purpose of the “landscapes” – to arouse curiosity and wonder.
