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The Diorama
"(It) is not a vain representation—it is reality itself. . .
"It was believed by thousands that the little boy in the foreground
. . . was either a very quiet charity boy, or at least a suit
of clothes stuffed, instead of the mere effect of the pencil."
Of "Roslyn Chapel" they continued:
"On viewing the Diorama (the visitors) might think themselves
transported by some magic spell to the scene itself—so
perfect was the illusion . . . An artist . . . declared that had he
not clearly ascertained that the view . . . was a painting on a
flat surface, he would have believed that the effect was produced
by more than one position of scenery, or rather many scenes
placed in different positions."
Daguerre's most important pre-photographic
achievement was his Diorama. In 1822, with Bouton,
he opened an entire building for the exhibition of two
45 1 /2 x 72 1 /2 foot canvases. Each was a marvel of
illusionistic painting, calculatedly designed
according to the principles of physics so that, say, a
red form would "decompose" when lit by red
(filtered) light to reveal a different configuration or
"effect" underneath.
The Diorama—literally "two views" (or canvases)—
showed one painting with an architectural view
representing a man-made wonder, and then another
with a scenic view representing a natural wonder.
Daguerre presented a performance of varied
"effects" for each of the two paintings. To the stock
Romantic subject matter of architectural ruins and
travel views, he added the illusion of reality. From a
darkened auditorium, each view, though painted on
a flat surface, looked large as life, naturalistic and
three dimensional. Critics were struck with awe. Of
Daguerre's "View of Brest Harbour" they exclaimed:
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IMAGE • Volume 28 No. 2