Portrait of an old man 

Fyodor Bronnikov painted this portrait of an old man using oil on canvas; a medium that has been prevalent for centuries. The way Bronnikov layered paint allows you to see the texture and feel the weight of the heavy beard and the lines on the man's face. It speaks to a slow process, built from individual marks. The choice of oil paint as a material, while not necessarily ‘high-tech’ or rare, embodies a learned tradition of painting. Bronnikov’s mastery of this material—how he applied and blended the paint—highlights the amount of skilled work involved. The subject's introspective expression and lived experience, when paired with the artist's skilled technique, imbue the portrait with cultural significance. Paying attention to materials, the making process, and context allows us to fully understand the meaning of the artwork, rather than focusing on traditional distinctions between ‘high art’ and other creative practices.