The Fondation Etrillard is initiating its first support in the field of digital craftsmanship, consisting of the production of a very high-resolution digital image of a monumental artwork measuring 1,000 m²: the Panorama of the Battle of Morat. This artwork, created by the German painter Louis Braun (1836-1916) in 1893, commemorates the Swiss victory against the army of the Duchy of Burgundy in 1476. It has rarely been exhibited due to its large size and has long since disappeared from public awareness in Switzerland.
Sarah Kenderdine, professor of digital museology at the EPFL and director of the laboratory for experimental museology, presents the project in the video opposite.
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DigiPan is led by the EPFL’s laboratory for experimental museology (eM+) in association with engineers, historians, and specialists in digital archiving. It constitutes the production of one of the largest data sets ever created for a single object in the world (1,600 gigapixels = 1.6 terapixels).
The Fondation Etrillard will help bring this painting out of the shadows through its digital preservation and enhancement. It supports the creation of the database that will enable the exploitation of the digital twin, which brings together the image as well as 3 types of additional content: sound, 3D objects for animation, and data drawn from archives.
By supporting this project, the Fondation Etrillard pursues its mission of shedding light on the treasures of our heritage with an innovative approach for a 21st-century audience.
The image capture phase on the original panorama was completed in October 2023, and the latter has therefore returned to the Swiss army depot. From November 2023 to December 2023, the EPFL undertook the image’s post-processing phase. A demonstration session is planned for April 2024 with museum partners and donors.
Finally, the DigiPan project has been accepted into the Guinness World Records for the largest image category.
Explore the Panorama of the Battle of Morat via the website terapixelpanorama.ch.