This is the only known profile portrait of Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov painted during his life. The drawing was made from life by Artillery Lieutenant Dmitry Petrovich von Pahlen in July of 1840. At that time, Lermontov was exiled to the Caucasus for a second time due to his duel with the son of the French Ambassador de Barante. He then participated in General Galafeyev’s campaign in the Chechnya region, including in the battle on the Valerik River on July 11. This battle, which involved a clash between soldiers and highlanders, was immortalized in Lermontov’s poem,

The image of the brutal battle is contrasted with a description of the Caucasian landscape:

Reflecting on the futility of human ambition and hopes, Lermontov himself was reputed to be a man of great determination. In the words of his contemporary, Lieutenant Colonel of the General Staff, Baron Lev Rossillon, “he wanted to appear as something special. He boasted about his bravery, as if one would be surprised by this quality in the Caucasus, where everyone is brave!” This external aspect of Lermontov’s complex nature was captured in the portrait by Pahlen, which immortalized his appearance of those years: unkempt sideburns and an unshaven face, a frock coat without epaulets.