Vision around 1800: The Panorama as Collective Artwork

The panorama has been widely ignored by aesthetic theory as well as within the canon of art and literature. It has, on the other hand, been extremely successful in attracting a mass audience during its periods of peak popularity; it first appeared in 1792 (Robert Barker's Cities of London and Westminster) and maintained its popularity throughout the nineteenth century. In general, and when compared to other canonized forms of visual expression around 1800 (painting, sculpture etc.), it is clear that scholarly research has neglected the topic of the panorama, thus following the footsteps of aesthetic discourse itself. This essay will juxtapose the differences between aesthetic theory and general commentaries on the panorama. Both forms of commentary appeared, at the time, mutually exclusive while at the same time achieving overwhelming success in their respective circles of either academia or mass media. This is particularly due to the exclusion or inclusion of the concepts of 'collectivity', 'technology' and 'economics' around 1800.