Illustration til Holbergs Komedier 1813 - 1817

Georg Haas created this illustration for Holberg's comedies using engraving techniques. Here, we see a chaotic scene, brimming with symbolic gestures of defiance and disorder, all set within the confines of urban life. The raised weapons and unruly crowd evoke images of ancient festivals of misrule, like the Roman Saturnalia, where social norms were inverted. Notice how the open window frames onlookers. This recalls the theatrical proscenium, highlighting the performative nature of public life and the chaotic energy of the carnivalesque. Such inversions allow for a temporary release of social tensions. Yet, the underlying anxiety remains palpable. This tension is not confined to the 18th century; it echoes through time, resurfacing in modern protest movements. These shared expressions of rebellion and catharsis connect us across centuries. The human need to challenge, to question, and occasionally to revel in chaos, continues to find expression, evolving yet remaining fundamentally unchanged.