Bourbaki Panorama

This gigantic panoramic work by Edouard Castres from 1881 is 112 metres long and 10 metres high and is one of the most impressive spectacles in the history of the Panorama medium..It depicts the eastern French army under General Bourbaki during.its memorable escape to Switzerland during the Franco-Prussian War in.the harsh winter of 1871. The internment.of the 87,000-strong battalion is regarded as the largest admission of refugees ever carried out by Switzerland. A sculptured terrain with figures and props is placed in front of the painting, giving the entire scene a remarkable three-dimensional effect. This huge space depicts the huge mass of people as well as many individual fates and humanitarian acts. Edouard Castres, who produced the painting, was an “embedded” artist in a sense as he accompanied the army as a Red Cross volunteer.