Peter the Great of Russia

About this work

This is a black-and-white portrait of a man in a military uniform. He’s wearing a high collar, a decorated jacket with buttons, and a medal around his neck. In his left hand, he holds a rolled-up map and a pointer. On the table beside him sits a telescope, and a helmet rests nearby. The background shows a faint landscape with a building and water. The artist used fine lines to create shadows and texture, especially on his face and clothes. This style is called cross-hatching, where layers of lines build up detail. Check out cross-hatching to see how artists make depth with just ink and paper.