Saint Louis Art Museum is almost finished restoring 169 year old painting after 8 years of work
ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - The Saint Louis Art Museum has nearly completed its conservation project of a massive panorama painting after eight years.
The painting is called the “Panorama of the Monumental Grandeur of the Mississippi Valley,” and is the only known Mississippi River panorama that exists today.
It was in a state of disrepair until the museum began its conservation in 2011, and since then has slowly been restored.
The work was created in the mid-19th century by John J. Egan and consists of 350 feet of fabric that was scrolled horizontally from one roller to another to display 25 unique painted scenes.
Panoramas were a popular 19th-century form of visual culture and entertainment which would have been rolled in front of an audience to offer a cinematographic experience to viewers.
Over time, the repetetive scrolling process caused sections of paint to wear off, as well as other damage which is why they are restoring it to its former glory.
Click here for more information on how you can observe the restoration of this historical scroll.
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