Portrait of the artist Medovikov N. P. 1981

A balding, grey-bearded man stands half-length before a large window, wearing a patterned olive quilted vest over a dark sweater. He holds a lit cigarette close to his chest in one hand while the other hangs at his side, and he looks out toward the viewer with a slightly animated, engaged expression. Through the window behind him, bare birch trunks rise from snow-covered ground under a pale winter sky.

Warm olive and umber tones in the vest and skin play against the cool greys and whites of the snowy exterior, with brisk, textured brushwork building the face, hands and folds of clothing. Natural light from the window models his features, and the direct gaze combined with the loose, energetic handling gives the sitter a lively, present character.