This fascinating bilingual book describes for the first time in print the incredible story of the history and restoration of Roberto Lewis's (1874 - 1949) masterpieces in the National Theatre in Panama. Lewis, who was born in Panama, created his monumental works of art on canvas while living in Paris and brought them to Panama in 1907 for installation in the new theatre, an Italian opera house on the shore of the Pacific Ocean, not far from the Panama Canal. The fully illustrated and researched book places Lewis in the context of Belle Epoque France and documents the recent four-year art restoration process. Included are copies of the original contracts, newspaper articles, and drawings by Lewis for his murals. UNESCO declared Lewis's artistic creation a Cultural Heritage of Mankind in 1997.