Sale: Historia Auktionhaus, Berlin, circa 1996
Private Collection, Berlin and Florida (acquired at the above sale)

Berlin, Academie der Kunst, May 15-July 31, 1892, no. 458

Stefan Nagel, Schaubuden: Geschichte und Erscheinungsformen, Munster, 2000-14 (published online www.schaubuden.de), p. 32

Unlined Visible repair on reverse at proper left and lower center. Under UV: Inpainting at the left and lower center to address repairs in aforementioned areas on the reverse and at the upper left, additional area in the butterfly-winged angel, crocodile, the ape and in isolated spots in the composition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The panopticon was among the most visited attractions in late nineteenth century Europe.  The word itself derives from Greek mythology, the giant Panoptes with a hundered eyes was an “all-seeing” watchman, and likewise a ticket-buyer to the panopticon could spy everything and anything from lurid waxworks, collections of human oddities (both live performers and embalmed figures), rare specimens of medical and natural science, and historical curiosities, among a number of other categories of trivia.  As bizarrely wonderful as panopticons were, they are largely forgotten today, leaving Heise’s depiction a rare and delightful record of this early mass-entertainment (the painting's engraving further publicizing both the Panopticum and the artist).  Exhibited in Berlin in 1892, the present work most likely depicts a crowded afternoon spent at Castan’s Panopticom (the German spelling).  As contemporary accounts suggested, Castan’s exhibits were designed to entice the jaded urbanite who had easy access to so many modern entertainments. At the height of its popularity in the 1890s, Castan’s welcomed as many as 10,000 visitors a weekend. Heise captures just a few of those ticket-buyers, guidebooks in hand, stopping to study everything from an Egyptian sarcophagus, mastodon skull,  primate skeleton, and a sculptured cupid with butterfly wings — all while a stuffed crocodile hangs from the ceiling unnoticed.  Just as the patrons amaze at the sites, the painting’s viewer is challenged to identify the gallery’s incredible contents, soon facing the uncanny realization that many figures in the room are actually made of wax, including the little girl sitting sweetly with her doll among the other children.