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ArticlesFigure 2 The Yser panorama in the AirHall, c. 1980. Photo Archives KLM-MRABrusselsRight Figure 3 The Yser panorama inZutendaal, August 2008and it was put on display in theAviation Hall after restorations by theartist and his team. For thirty years,the Panorama hung in this large Hallas a backdrop to the airplanes, untilthe canvas sagged so badly – somepieces had even come loose – that itwas finally taken down in separateparts in 1982. It was then placed on alarge wooden cylinder and remaineduntouched until 2004 when a smallpart was unrolled to check itscondition. From the 1950s until the80s, several restoration-projects wereplanned, but because of thephenomenal cost, they were neverexecuted.In June 2008 the cylinder wastransferred to an army base with thehelp of the logistics section of theThe Panorama showssuccessive episodes ofthe Yser battle, whichwas fought along theBelgian coast from 16 to31 October 1914. It was atrue war of attrition, witha large number ofcasualties.Belgian Army. There, the Panoramawas unrolled for the first time in morethan thirty years. Previously cut intonine pieces, these large canvaseswere then checked: more than 85% ofthe entire painting had survived. It alsobecame clear that the condition of thesupport and paint-layers, althoughvery damaged in certain places, wasmuch less bad overall than had beenfeared. As this opens up possibilitiesof conservation and perhaps eventualrestoration, the Royal Military Museumis now studying future prospects forthe Panorama. Thus in September2008, a first workshop with RoyalMilitary Museum staff, panoramaspecialistsand experts from the RoyalInstitute of the Artistic Heritage inBrussels was organised. Furthermore,in March 2009, the Royal MilitaryMuseum and the InternationalPanorama Council organised aconference in Brussels and Zutendaal,which focused among other thingsupon this monumental piece ofnational heritage, its conservation andeventual restauration. 3Notes1 See N. Peeters & S. Smets, ‘Heurset malheurs d’un chef d’oeuvre deAlfred Bastien: Le Panorama del’Yser’, in: Bulletin van hetKoninklijk Museum van het Legeren de Krijgsgeschiedenis 2 (2008)(forthcoming); L.-M. Colot, LePanorama de la bataille de l’Yser,par Alfred Bastien, unpublishedmaster’s thesis, UniversitéCatholique de Louvain 1983; L. VanHasselt, Schilderen of Schieten?De impact van de Wereldoorlogenop het leven en het werk vn AlfredBastien (1873-1955), unpublishedmaster’s thesis, KatholiekeUniversiteit Leuven 2006; S. Smets,‘Les artistes belges face à laGrance Guerre’, in: Bulletin van hetKoninklijk Museum van het Legeren de Krijgsgeschiedenis 2 (2008)(forthcoming); A. Deseyne, AlfredBastien en het IJzerpanorama,Catalogus Tentoonstelling 20 Mei –11 November 2001 Memorial PrinsKarel Domein Raversijde,Raversijde 2001. The Panorama ofCongo is in the care of the RoyalMilitary Museum, but officiallyowned by the State. It will beunrolled in March 2009. The authorwishes to thank D. Vanthemschefor help with the translation.2 For more information, consult thewebsite of the Royal MilitaryMuseum at www.klm-mra.be3 For more information, consult thewebsite of the InternationalPanorama Council atwww.panoramapainting.comISSUE 01 MAGAZINE 31