Panorama of the Battle of Racławice

Wroclaw,Panorama of the Battle of RacławicePoland
Panorama of the Battle of Racławice
Jana Ewangelisty Purkyniego 11, 50-155, Wroclaw, Poland
The Racławice Panorama is a 15 x 114 meter cycloramic painting located in Wrocław, Poland, depicting the Battle of Racławice in the Kościuszko Uprising. It is a rare example of 19th-century mass culture and the oldest of its kind in Poland.

The painting is displayed in a circular fashion, allowing the viewer to see different scenes from various angles while standing in the center. Its use of perspective and added effects, such as lighting and artificial terrain, enhance the feeling of reality.

History

The creation of the panoramic painting, "Panorama of the Battle of Racławice," was initiated by the painter Jan Styka in Lwów (now known as Lviv) who enlisted the help of battle-painter Wojciech Kossak and several other artists, including Ludwik Boller, Tadeusz Popiel, Zygmunt Rozwadowski, Teodor Axentowicz, Włodzimierz Tetmajer, Wincenty Wodzinowski, and Michał Sozański. The project was aimed at commemorating the 100th anniversary of the victory of the Battle of Racławice, a significant event in the Kościuszko Insurrection, an attempt to defend Polish independence.

The painting was completed within 9 months, between August 1893 and May 1894, and was displayed in a specially built rotunda in Stryjski Park in Lwów. The official opening took place on June 5, 1894 and the painting quickly became a popular tourist attraction, attracting an average of 75,000 visitors annually.

After World War II, the painting was moved to Wrocław (formerly Breslau) as part of the collection of the Ossoliński Institute. However, the subject of the painting was considered politically sensitive under the communist regime, and it was not until August 1980 that efforts to restore and exhibit the painting were successful. The panorama was reopened on June 14, 1985 and has since become a major tourist attraction, attracting around 400,000 visitors annually.

The panorama has been visited by numerous high-profile guests, including Pope John Paul II, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, and Nobel Prize-winning author Czesław Miłosz. On September 8, 1894, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria visited the panorama and was quoted as saying "Impressive. It has astonished me." Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen, also praised the panorama, calling it "the most beautiful panorama [he had] ever seen."