The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “Panoramic View of the Palace and Gardens of Versailles” by the American painter John Vanderlyn is a rare 19th-century surviving example of its kind. Panoramas—large-scale paintings of vistas in the round—were created for the entertainment of the public and patented in 1787. Their trompe l’oeil effects transported viewers.
An American in Paris
Vanderlyn (1775–1852) was born in Kingston, New York. Early in his career, he received the patronage of politician Aaron Burr (1756–1836). Vanderlyn studied with renowned American portraitist Gilbert Stuart (1755–1828) and afterwards became the first American-born painter to study in France. Beforehand, American artists seeking a European education went to London.
Palace Panorama
Vanderlyn thought that panoramic painting would inspire the American public’s interest in fine art. He decided to create his own panorama and exhibition space. He chose to paint Versailles’s palace and gardens, reflecting his love of France. It was the only panorama he ever made.
Before starting the artwork, he secured a site for the exhibition, leasing the northeast corner of City Hall Park from New York City. He designed a neoclassical structure 56 feet in diameter inspired by Rome’s Pantheon. Called the Rotunda, it is considered the first public art museum in New York. After it was built, it housed his panorama, along with portraits and history paintings that hung in adjacent galleries. The building was demolished in 1870.
By January 1819, the canvas was ready to be moved to New York City. Scholars believe that the artist then added the figures. The panorama went on exhibit at the end of June, though Vanderlyn continued to add finishing touches.
The completed work covers nearly 2,000 square feet of canvas and is filled with accurate details. Vanderlyn chose to show a late September afternoon, allowing him to use warm light and dramatic shadows. The picturesque architectural and garden features include the Parterre d’Eau, the Basin of Latona, the Grande Allée, and the palace’s western façade, along with sculptures and landscaping.
The figures populating the scene draw the viewer’s eye rhythmically across the canvas. They converse with each other, promenade, and engage in everyday activities. One vignette shows a boy chasing a butterfly. Throughout, soldiers from Austria, England, Prussia, and Russia are depicted. This is one of the references to France’s political situation, showing in this case these Allied forces’ occupation following the Battle of Waterloo.
Louis, dressed in a blue jacket with gold epaulets, stands on a palace balcony. He represents the restoration of the monarchy in France and of Versailles; in 1814, he requested that the palace, emblematic of the zenith of European culture, be restored. His presence symbolizes Vanderlyn’s viewpoint that this relationship between government and the arts is exemplary.
The panorama remained on view at the Rotunda through 1829, except when Vanderlyn toured it, attempting to generate more money. Though it was praised by critics, the artwork was not a financial success. Vanderlyn came to believe that his choice of subject had been a mistake, as his intended audience was not interested in a European court and would have preferred a New York vista. He died in poverty.
