Publiek verzameld rond een podium 1775

This engraving by Daniel Chodowiecki depicts a crowd gathered around a stage. The stage itself, draped with fabric, holds a simple table upon which sits a ewer. The presence of the ewer is particularly striking, and echoes its use in ancient Greek theater, where vessels were used to amplify voices. One is reminded of the amphora, a container not only for practical use but also a symbol of plenty, transformed in this public setting into an instrument for performance. Across time and space, the ewer has appeared in countless contexts, from religious rituals to domestic scenes, each time carrying a resonance of its past associations. Here, its presence on the stage suggests a performative dimension, a vessel awaiting to be filled with the spoken word, with drama, becoming a focal point that draws the collective gaze and anticipation of the audience. It becomes a potent emblem of transformation and transcendence.