Civil War Trust And Hirshhorn Museum Re-Interpret Battle Of Gettysburg's Pickett's Charge

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Thirteen decades after sold-out crowds flocked to the real deal, people are enjoying two very different homages to one of America's most iconic paintings, thanks to the Civil War Trust and the Smithsonian Institution's Hirshhorn Museum.

One—at your fingertips digitally—gives an animated and narrated overview of the famed Gettysburg Cyclorama.   The other—a floor-to-ceiling series of eight contemporary-art paintings that re-imagine the monumental panorama—wraps around the top floor of the Hirshhorn Museum on the National Mall.

The Civil War Trust created a zoomable video to enliven the 1883 cyclorama—the IMAX cinema of its day—depicting the Battle of Gettysburg's final assault.

The Hirshhorn commissioned internationally acclaimed artist Mark Bradford's mammoth "Pickett's Charge."  Bradford was inspired by French artist Paul Philippoteaux's 1883 cyclorama, on permanent display at Gettysburg National Military Park's visitor center.  Bradford's series weaves past and present, illusion and abstraction, inviting visitors to reconsider how historical narratives are shaped and contested.

The Trust's five-minute, immersive video complements Bradford's exhibition and encourages seeking out the actual Gettysburg Cyclorama.

"The 360-degree video doesn't replace a visit to the real thing, but it gets as close to the experience as one can, adding enhancements like voices, battle sounds, smoke, dirt flying about, and a narrator to guide you around the painting," said Civil War President James Lighthizer.

On Jan. 19 at 12:30 p.m. in the Hirshhorn's Third Level galleries, Civil War Trust Director of History and Education Garry Adelman will lead a conversation about the 19^th century's cyclorama craze, and how the Gettysburg painting and its diorama help transport people through time and space.

The Trust's video can be seen on Civilwar.org, Twitter or Facebook.

The Civil War Trust is a national nonprofit organization devoted to the protection of America's hallowed battlegrounds. It saves the battlefields of the Civil War, the Revolutionary War and War of 1812, and educates the public about their importance in forging the nation we are today. To date, the Trust has preserved more than 47,000 acres of battlefield land in 24 states.  Learn more at Civilwar.org.

(For a longer version of this release, visit https://www.civilwar.org/news)

SOURCE Civil War Trust

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