The portrait of Vladimir Soloviev is unusually beautiful. A graceful figure in dark against a carved armchair. The thin person, a powerful forehead under fine dark hair, is thin the cut out nostrils, deep dark eyes. Dark ultramarines blinds a dark blue flame in this portrait: a dark blue suit, black-dark blue hair. This of ultramarines in years will be used by Vrubel for "Demons".
Kramskoy was unique in own way the portraitist, whose art has made forming impact on many Russian artists. Kramskoy learnt not to look at model, and to see its essence. He has managed to see and transfer much in a portrait which refinement something imperceptibly reminds also beauty of theocratic Utopias of Soloviev, and lines of philosophical verses of the forerunner of Russian symbolism. The late aesthetic compositions full of hope are not written yet that Sofia - wisdom and beauty, an idea embodiment всеединства will save the world, and Kramskoy already sees thin hand wearily hanging down from an armrest, irony in a sight. As if, having endured the hopes and disappointments, looks in the future of the person sitting before it, feels its expecting bitterness of spiritual crisis.
Any strange black-violet luminescence proceeded from a canvas Kramskoy. Repin who has seen this product of the great portraitist, has been shaken by depth of research of the person: «Ah, Ivan Nikolaevich that it you can that you tell it to all of us!»
