A form of public entertainment popular in the 19th century, featuring a large scenic painting that by means of varied lighting simulated effects such as sunrise, moonlight, and changing weather, while the audience stood or sat in darkness. The diorama was invented by Louis Daguerre and Charles Marie Bouton and first exhibited in Paris in 1822. See also cyclorama.

Augustus Pugin and James Morgan. Plan of the diorama theater, Regent’s Park, London, 1823..