"Nøgle til adskillige Kobbere" 1787

H.L.S. Winding created this engraving titled "Nøgle til adskillige Kobbere," which translates to "Key to Several Coppers," circa 1797. The composition draws us into an encounter between two figures set within a meticulously detailed natural environment. The artist employs line and texture to construct a scene that feels almost like a stage, observed through a proscenium arch. Winding masterfully uses hatching and cross-hatching to define forms and to suggest depth. The density of lines creates areas of shadow, contrasting with the stark white of the paper to sculpt the figures and foliage. This formal technique not only gives shape to the narrative but also imbues the scene with a sense of drama. The linear style is consistent with the Neoclassical interest in clarity and order, yet the subject matter—an exchange or confrontation in a forest—hints at the burgeoning Romantic fascination with nature and the human condition. This engraving serves as a fascinating intersection of formal technique and emerging cultural values.