Tidstavle over H.C. Andersens liv 1866-1844 1930 - 1938

Niels Larsen Stevns created this handwritten timeline of H.C. Andersen’s life between 1866-1944. As an artist born in the late 19th century, Stevns lived in a time of cultural nationalism. This timeline gives us a personal insight into the life of the famous fairytale writer, Hans Christian Andersen. His stories, beloved by children and adults, reflect themes of identity and belonging, mirroring his own struggles as someone who rose from poverty to literary fame. The meticulous script and chronological layout underscore a desire to capture and preserve the details of Andersen's life, transforming it into a sort of personal archive. While seemingly a straightforward biographical record, the act of creating such a timeline also reveals Stevns’s own interpretation of Andersen's journey. The selection of events and the care with which they are recorded invite us to reflect on how we construct narratives around the lives of those we admire. This piece then becomes a study of influence, admiration, and historical memory.