Panoramas were all the rage at the end of the 19th century. In 1880, a number of businessmen from Brussels who wanted to get their share of the pie commissioned Mesdag to paint a ‘maritime panorama of The Hague’. Mesdag accepted the assignment and choose the view from the Seinpostduin (signpost dune) in Scheveningen as the subject.

The canvas, with a surface area of 1680 square meters, a height of 14 meters and 120 meters in circumference, is the largest painting in the Netherlands. Mesdag painted it in a purpose-built building with the help of his wife and his friends Théophile de Bock (1851-1904), Bernard Blommers (1845-1914) and George Hendrik Breitner (1857-1923), all painters of The Hague School.

When the Belgian owner went bankrupt after five years, Mesdag, who considered the panorama to be one of his major works of art, bought it.  Mesdag took the responsibility for the financially unattractive exploitation and covered the deficits out of his own pocket. Substantial renovations were carried out, adding exhibition space to show the works of art that justified his reputation as marine painter – and offered the public more than just his panorama.

After the death of his wife in 1909, Mesdag founded a family business. All 33 nephews, nieces and cousins of the couple received shares which were not to be split or transferred outside the family. As stakeholders they jointly accepted the responsibility to secure the future of Panorama Mesdag and their offspring have continued this tradition to this day.