The picture is interesting directly as an example of a portrait of this era. The author portrayed two characters at once, they are equally present in the composition, and the artist makes them different with the help of some details. The most important is the angle of rotation of the head. The artist seemed to exercise, drawing the young men in similar, but different poses. They look in different directions, one looks straight ahead, and the second, whose head is directed almost to the side, looks at the viewer. The characters have different facial features, they are quite dissimilar, but this is noticeable upon detailed examination. At the first moment they seem almost twins thanks to the same headgear, haircuts and similar clothing. That is why it is an interesting canvas, the longer the viewer looks at it, the more differences it finds in the two heroes of this unusual portrait.
Very elegant portrait, which combines aristocracy, status and a little shade of luxury. The author depicted a pharmacist, and next to him is a book with images of plants. But only this element speaks about the profession of the hero, the other details emphasize his status as a member of society as a whole. The artist created the image of a neat person, attentive to details, educated. His clothes are strict and elegant, modest and luxurious. The author limited himself to the classic combination of black and white, the lace white details of a shirt add to the image some tidiness and freshness, and the black suit looks elegant because it combines different textures. Also, the brilliance of the curtains adds to the composition some solemnity, emphasizes the significance of the moment. The hero himself, of course, poses, but he does not try to make an impression, just looks at the viewer with an open look.
The picture is quite progressive for its time. This is a portrait of a warrior, in which great attention is paid to the personality of the man. Yes, he is depicted with a weapon in his hand, next to the armor, with a servant, that of course create a standard entourage, complement the image of a brave knight with a certain social status. But in this canvas, the author tried to portray the man himself - his face, look. The artist captured only the upper body of the hero, so the face is rather large, it attracts the attention of the audience not only by its size, but also by its expression. At first glance, it seems harsh, it should add masculinity to the image. But it quickly becomes clear that the hero of the portrait is a very young man, and this compressed mouth, too raised head to look down on the viewer - this all is assumed, is mostly a mask than true content. But this does not spoil his image, in any case, his seriousness and determination are visible, but the fact that he is young and wants to give himself importance makes the image more real, human. This causes sympathy and allows you to evaluate the skill of the artist.
A typical portrait of a man who is distinguished in the military field. The hero is depicted in armor, with weapons. He clearly poses for the artist, although the pose is chosen as natural, unconstrained, familiar to the man. The author tried to create in the picture an image of a bold, strong warrior, a great personality, and in order to increase his significance he portrayed an adjutant near. This young boy holds a helmet in his hands, which seems huge. And the hero of the portrait next to him stands majestically, making an even more impressive impression. The canvas is a vivid example of the glorification of military qualities, but with some exaggeration. In general, the composition looks quite restrained, a certain masculine style is sustained, the palette is elegant and absolutely corresponds to the theme.
Picturesque composition with a multi-layered framing. The central figure of the picture is a naked egyptian woman sneaking through a tall reed. It partially hides her body, giving the image an intrigue, a mystery. It is both a background and a frame. It occupies such a large part of the canvas that the composition ceases to appear as a picture, and becomes very realistic. It seems that the girl will now come out of the reed and will be face to face with the viewer. Maybe that's why the author added a painted frame, but it does not make the canvas less realistic. It creates the effect of a window through which the heroine is visible. It seems to me that this is a rather non-standard and progressive approach to writing a portrait, and if you wish to decorate the room with it, you must take into account this effect of realistic presence.
