Alexander Volkov loves to show the city as slightly blurry, in the street light. In the artwork “Boatswain” we see the combination of several textures and colors, sharp lines and light transitions. All the composition was made with play of light and shades.

Artists depicted recognizable Saint-Petersburg elements, like Bridge of Four Lions over the Griboedov Canal, which is one of the three surviving pedestrian chain bridges in the city.

The painter used very remarkable artistic methods. There is a layer with abrupt lines and flourish, this layer is located under the picturesque layer; the second layer gives the paintings by Volkov special decorative traits. The painting was made of using oil paint and canvas.