Panorama van de Slag bij Waterloo, 1815 1815 - 1816

Curator: Here we have an engraving titled *Panorama van de Slag bij Waterloo, 1815,* created anonymously sometime between 1815 and 1816. What catches your eye about this piece? Editor: The circular composition is striking. It reminds me of a celestial map, yet it depicts a battle. How should we interpret that tension? Curator: Consider the context. Large-scale panoramas, particularly of battles, were a popular form of public entertainment and nationalistic expression in the 19th century. This print, essentially a miniature reproduction, made that experience accessible to a wider audience. How does that shift in accessibility change the role of this kind of war representation? Editor: That’s interesting! It was both propaganda and popular culture at the same time. The text filling the circle looks integral to the piece; is it adding historical context to the visual imagery? Curator: Exactly. The print is mediating the real and symbolic impact of the battle through printed media. Also, what's communicated when monumental battle scenes can now adorn everyday domestic spaces? Think about the role museums play today in shaping narratives, this print proposes that question, doesn’t it? Editor: Definitely something to ponder! It makes me wonder about who had access to even the reproduction and what their interpretation of it was versus our own. Thank you! Curator: Indeed. It highlights the complex relationship between art, media, and historical understanding, both then and now.