Mesdag Panorama renovation started, fundraising ongoing

THE HAGUE - The building in which the largest circular canvas in Europe is located, is being upgraded and renovated, while at the same time welcoming visitors to get a sweeping view of the sea, the wide beach, the dunes of Holland, and the picturesque fishing village of Scheveningen as seen through the eyes of the artists around 1880. Visiting the Panorama Mesdag is an experience in space and time; a spectacular illusion that seems to become reality. The circular canvas was painted by Hendrik Willem Mesdag and his wife Sientje Mesdag-van Houten. They were helped by colleagues G.H. Breitner, Th. de Bock and B.J. Blommers. It is one of the worlds finest, and largest, surviving panoramas. Visitors reach their spectacular view through a narrow, dark passage and up a spiral staircase. The circular canvas measures 395 feet in circumference; it is 46 feet high and covers a surface of over 18,000 square feet. It is a grand work in the style of The Hague School and an important national art treasure. Fundraising for the upgrading project is ongoing.