Thousands of books and articles have been written about the Battle of
Gettysburg. Almost every topic has been thoroughly scrutinized except
one: Paul Philippoteaux's massive cyclorama painting The Battle of
Gettysburg, which depicts Pickett's Charge, the final attack at
Gettysburg. The Gettysburg Cyclorama: The Turning Point of the Civil War
on Canvas is the first comprehensive study of this art masterpiece and
historic artifact.
This in-depth study of the history of the cyclorama discusses every
aspect of this treasure, which was first displayed in 1884 and underwent
a massive restoration in 2008. Coverage includes not only how it was
created and what it depicts, but the changes it has undergone and where
and how it was moved. Authors Chris Brenneman and Sue Boardman also
discuss in fascinating detail how the painting was interpreted by Civil
War veterans in the late 19th Century.
With the aid of award-winning photographer Bill Dowling, the authors
utilized modern photography to compare the painting with historic and
modern pictures of the landscape. Dowling's remarkable close-up digital
photography allows readers to focus on distant details that usually pass
unseen. Every officer, unit, terrain feature, farm, and more pictured in
the painting is discussed in detail. Even more remarkable, the authors
reveal an important new discovery made during the research for this
book: in order to address suggestions from the viewers, the cyclorama
was significantly modified five years after it was created to add more
soldiers, additional flags, and even General George Meade, the commander
of the Union Army!
With hundreds of rare historic photographs and beautiful modern pictures
of a truly great work of art, The Gettysburg Cyclorama: The Turning
Point of the Civil War on Canvas is a must-have for anyone interested in
the Battle of Gettysburg or is simply a lover of exquisite art.
