Panoramic Painting of Longstreet’s Assault at Gettysburg, July 3, 1863

The largest painting on the North American continent, this is by far the largest single museum object in the museum collections of Gettysburg National Military Park. Painted by French artist Paul Philippoteaux and a team of artists based on accounts from veterans of the battle, this is an iconic representation of the action at the center of the Union line as the 2nd Corps of the Army of the Potomac successfully repulsed the attack by troops of the Army of Northern Virginia commanded by General James Longstreet on the afternoon of July 3, 1863. Popularly known as Pickett’s Charge, the assault was the climax of the battle of Gettysburg and would be seen by later generations as a critical moment in the progress of the conflict. The painting, one of four Gettysburg panoramas completed by the artist, first debuted in Boston in 1885. It is the only one still complete in existence. This image shows the portion of the painting depicting the primary battle action.