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In this drawing, Skarbina comes very close to the work of his great Berlin predecessor, Adolph von Menzel (1815-1905). Both the medium of the blunt and relatively greasy carpenter’s pencil as well as the execution of the strokes reveal the artistic influence of the universally admired doyen of Prussian draughtsmanship.
In addition, the careful approach to the model, the position of the gently lost profile, the suggestion of something gone unnoticed and the division of surfaces and details point to a thorough knowledge of the work of Adolph von Menzel.
Nonetheless, this drawing is no mere stylistic copy. Rather, the more conclusive execution of the lines and the partial densification of the strokes reveal Skarbina’s entirely personal adaptation of his prototype.