Portrait of the architect Philip Dmitrievich Hloboschin 1868

Ilya Repin made this oil on canvas portrait of the architect Philip Dmitrievich Hloboschin in 1868. The paint has been applied with considerable ease, especially in the background. The artist has captured his sitter with great attention, as a moment fixed in time. But what I find really remarkable is how the artist has built the image with paint – a substance made of colored pigment, bound in oil, that has a materiality all its own. Oil paint allows for layering, and the artist has applied it wet-on-wet in some areas, creating a rich impasto surface with plenty of texture. In doing so, Repin not only creates a likeness, but also reminds us that the image is made, not born. Ultimately, focusing on the material and how the artist manipulated it, helps us to appreciate the skill involved and to challenge the conventional boundaries between craft and fine art.