The style used is Portraiture art. Portraiture art is associated with recording the likeness of humans to tell something about them or to keep their memory. In this painting, Repin created the artwork as personal work and was trying to bring out the sellers identity but not for commission. This art style can be in the form of paintings, pictures and also sculptures. Ilya Repin was also part of the realism movement that's attend to represent the subject matter truthfully. These artists rarely use supernatural or exotic elements in their works. Repin Focus on the accurate representation of the man in the image through a detailed use of light and colour.
Seller of student works at the Academy of Arts by Ilya repin is currently displayed at state Tretyakov gallery in Moscow. The gallery is the main museum of art collected from artists all over Russia to preserve and popularize the art of Russia. One of Repin's greatest influences was his mother since his father served in the military and was not home most of the time. His mother taught herself how to read and write and later pass the knowledge to her son as there were no primary school in the area. Repin in his older age compared inspiration for art please Regis believes they got under the influence of his mother.
Repin also studied under Pavel Chistiakov In the imperial academy and was also strongly influenced by Pavel's work which had psychological saturation. Repin tried to add a psychological impact to his paintings mostly evident in his social theme paintings condemning the ruling elite in Russian Society. One of the Artists influenced by Repin was the outstanding Ukrainian artist Oleksandr Murashko. Oleksandr was a Repin's student in the Imperial Academy of Arts in St Petersburg and was also among the best as he later got the chance to study in Paris. Murashko is among the students depicted in a group portrait of Repin's students painted by Yelena Makosvskaya.