Panorama of the Palace and Gardens of Versailles, by John Vanderlyn, 1818-1819. Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A few years ago, I was visiting The Metropolitan Museum of Art with my friend Catherine when we stumbled upon an unusual piece of art, purely by accident. It was tucked inside a small round room on the bottom floor of the American Wing and as I crossed the threshold, I knew we had discovered something special. It was a panorama, painted in the early 19th century. The wal...