Scene fra Voltaires "Le triumvirat", muligvis 1.akt., 4.scene 1798 - 1801

Nicolai Abildgaard rendered this scene from Voltaire's "Le Triumvirat" in ink on paper. Abildgaard, a leading figure of the Danish Golden Age, lived through a period marked by significant social and political upheaval, including the French Revolution, which profoundly influenced his artistic vision. His choice to depict a scene from Voltaire’s play is telling. Voltaire, a champion of freedom of speech and religion, used his plays to critique the abuses of power. Abildgaard would have been keenly aware of the play’s themes of political intrigue and moral compromise. In the scene, men are clad in Roman military attire, evoking a sense of classical authority intertwined with the drama of political conflict. It is likely that Abildgaard was not simply illustrating a scene, but engaging with broader questions about the nature of power, justice, and individual responsibility. This drawing is an invitation to reflect on how the stories we tell about the past shape our understanding of the present.