JK GILLON

Panorama and Diorama exhibitions were a popular and fashionable entertainment in the early years of the 19th century. The Panorama consisted of 180 degree semi-circular paintings displayed in rotunda buildings. The paintings were suspended on the inner circumference of the building and were viewed by spectators from a central platform. Special lighting was used and the painting filled the spectator's complete field of vision. The intended effect was an illusion of reality.

The paintings were normally beautifully executed by skilled artists, who not only required a good understanding of perspective but also of distortion as the paintings were drawn on curved surfaces. Biblical scenes, famous landscapes, battles and city views were the most popular subjects. The Diorama was an advanced form of the Panorama in which a 360 degree image was displayed.

Over the years a number of Panorama and Diorama exhibitions visited Glasgow. However, probably the most popular was the Panorama of the City of Glasgow that was exhibited in a wooden rotunda adjoining the New Theatre in Queen Street in 1809. This provided a view of the City over the Clyde and occupied a 3,000 square feet canvas. It was intended that it should be viewed as a curved image and the perspective is distorted in a flat screen version.

How to Build Dioramas