Panoramas have been popular for many centuries. Nowadays, we can take magnificent panoramic photographs with our mobile phones. In the nineteenth century, panoramas were a beloved attraction, such as Mesdagâs large, cylindrical painting Panorama of Scheveningen and the Kaiserpanorama (part of the exhibition The Grand Illusion at Teylers Museum). They make you feel as if you are âinsideâ the image. Even before the nineteenth century, panoramas were popular both with visual artists and the general public.
Especially draftsmen have ventured outdoors for centuries to draw panoramic landscapes. A quick sketch, a detailed drawing or an imaginary view: panoramic landscapes are drawn in all sizes and shapes. Ranging from large to small and from rectangular to round vistas. This rich variety begs the question: what defines a panorama?
Jacob Philipp Hackert (1737-1807), View of Sorrento, 1782
Teylers Museum, Haarlem
Enjoy the panoramas of landscapes, cityscapes and water drawn by visual artists including Aelbert Cuyp, Elisabeth Johanna Koning, Hendrick Avercamp, Paulus Constantijn la Fargue and Anthonie Waterloo. The highlight of this exhibition is the almost one-and-a-half-meter long panorama of Sorrento in southern Italy dating back to 1782 by Jacob Philipp Hackert (1737-1807). This work of art was purchased in 2022 with the support of Teylers Museum Friends Fund.