Portrait of Nikita Mikhailovich Muraviev 1815

Orest Kiprensky made this portrait of Nikita Mikhailovich Muraviev in 1813, likely using graphite or black chalk on paper. The artist’s mark-making is highly evident. See how the strokes build tone on Muraviev’s coat and hair. The artist coaxes subtle gradations from the paper, a sensitive surface that readily receives every mark. This directness of application lends the image a feeling of immediacy, as though we’re face to face with the sitter. Kiprensky was one of the first Russian artists to make a living through portraiture, capturing the likenesses of the aristocracy and intelligentsia. His drawings required a mastery of materials, and a confidence in his own hand. Unlike painting or sculpture, the medium doesn’t offer the possibility of sanding back or reworking the image. Consider the labor involved, and the social context in which it was created. Kiprensky’s drawing stands as a testament to the artist’s skill, and a window into the world of 19th-century Russian portraiture.