H.C.E. Winning 1799 - 1868

Emil Ditlev Bærentzen rendered this portrait of H.C.E. Winning with lithography, a medium that captures the subject with striking clarity. The sitter, positioned with a slight turn, invites a direct gaze, a common posture in portraiture intended to convey openness and engagement. Notice how the sitter's eyes draw you in; their gentle expression hints at introspection, a feature often employed in the portraits of intellectuals. This gaze reminds us of the Roman “Augurs,” diviners known for their contemplative expressions, as they were believed to possess insight into the hidden currents of fate. Consider also the buttoned waistcoat, a sartorial detail of the era, signifying order and respectability. Yet, how differently it appears in a military uniform, where it transforms into a symbol of discipline and martial readiness. Such shifts reveal how symbols are never fixed but continually redefined by context and collective memory. In viewing H.C.E. Winning, we are not merely seeing a likeness but engaging with a complex web of cultural signs that continue to resonate through time.