Det indre af Arena, Verona 1896

Niels Larsen Stevns made this work, 'Det indre af Arena, Verona,' with pencil on paper. Stevns was deeply religious and interested in how the individual could find their place in the world. He was deeply concerned with the importance of freedom of expression. This interest emerges from the cultural climate of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During this time the traditional structures of society began to be challenged by ideas about individual rights. This drawing of the inside of the Verona Arena captures the ancient amphitheater's architectural grandeur, but also the atmosphere of public spectacle and shared human experience. How might the artist have been thinking about the role of the individual within a large public space? And what does it mean to experience or witness a historical event? This drawing offers a moment to reflect on the relationship between the individual, history and collective experience.