The drawing titled “Nina at Home After the Masquerade” was created by Vladimir Petrovich Panov in 1983. It was part of an entire series for the edition commemorating the 175th anniversary of Mikhail Lermontov. The illustration describes the fifth subscene of the third scene in the first act when Nina comes home after the masquerade.

The graphic artist’s vision of the scene was reflected through a vertical composition. Vladimir Panov depicted the full-length figure of Nina half-turned to the viewer in the center of the pictorial space. Her right arm stretches along the body, while the left one is raised to her chest; she has a high hairstyle with loose curls.

Nina Arbenina is wearing a dress with a low neckline and a wide hem, and its sleeves are arranged in big folds. The interior of the room shows a round table, a chair with a high back in the foreground, an angel figurine, and other small statuary items in the background.

Colors, like sounds in music, lead the main theme with variations. In his series, the artist stages the growing tension of the drama. The composition is performed in warm shades of brown and golden, rendering a feeling of homely warmth, peace, and security.

Despite this, in the fifth subscene, a tense dialogue takes place between Arbenin and his wife, which leads to Nina leaving the room in tears. This episode, when Nina returns home, features the following words of Arbenin:

In Panov’s works, there is no room for excessive detailing, coincidences, or superficiality. The drawings can be easily correlated with the text of Mikhail Lermontov’s play. The composition, interiors, and color scheme — all the elements have their own artistic value. Not only do Vladimir Panov’s illustrations immerse the viewers into the atmosphere of the Lermontov era, but they also help to comprehend the artist’s view of the world, the people, the past, and the present.