Roofs of Petrogradka

Seen from an elevated angle, a tightly packed cluster of pitched roofs, chimney stacks and small dormer windows fills the foreground, their planes tilting in different directions. Beyond them, the roofline opens onto a hazy skyline where a bulbous dome and a tall tower with a thin spire stand out above the surrounding buildings, with clouds streaked across the sky.

The etching builds every surface from dense, directional hatching, giving the tiled roofs and brick walls a rough, weathered texture, while the sky is worked in long sweeping lines suggesting wind-blown clouds. Tonal contrast is kept fairly even throughout, so the eye travels across the crowded rooftops toward the pale silhouettes on the horizon. The crowded, angular composition and monochrome tone give the view a dense, contemplative character.