Long before movies and computer-generated special effects, Philippoteaux deployed optical tricks to create a stand-in for the real carnage of war. Now that the painting has been stripped of most of these devices, its potency has waned. The work feels almost quaint, wearing more the mantle of historical artifact than the veil of artifice.
In its current condition, the painting "really doesn't give the viewer any sort of feeling that they're out there" on the battlefield, Olin said. "Our intent is to bring back the artist's intent."
The conservators will try to evoke the you-are-there feeling. Wilburn of the foundation said, "We're trying to get as close as we can to creating the illusion of being in the cyclorama in 1884. You'll get that total-immersion experience."
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