Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov (1844 — 1927) entered the history of Russian art as an outstanding landscape and genre painter, author of paintings on historical and evangelical subjects, theatrical decorator, architect, illustrator.
The artist’s grandfather, Vasily Polenov, was an academician of Russian literature. His father, Dmitry, was a well-known diplomat, archaeologist and bibliographer. His mother, Maria Polenova, was the author of books for children, she was fond of painting.
Polenov in his youth took private painting lessons from Pavel Chistyakov and Ivan Kramskoy. He graduated from the Olonets provincial male gymnasium in Petrozavodsk, then joined the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of the Imperial St. Petersburg University. At the same time in the evenings he studied at the Imperial Academy of Arts as a non-degree student. He attended lectures on anatomy, history of arts and even on the descriptive geometry.
In 1863-1871 Polenov studied simultaneously at the Academy of Arts and at the Faculty of Law of the University of St. Petersburg. As a scholarship recipient of the Academy of Arts he visited Italy, France and Germany during 1872-1876. From 1881 to 1882 and 1899 he traveled in Syria, Palestine, Egypt and Greece. In 1876 he volunteered for the Serbian-Montenegro-Turkish War and was awarded a Montenegrin medal and a Serbian Order for his participation in battles. He was an artist at the headquarters of the heir to the throne Alexander on the Bulgarian front of the Russo-Turkish War in 1877-1878.
In 1892 he became a professor, and in 1893-1905 he was a member of the Academy of Arts. He terminated his membership in the Academy in protest against the shooting of demonstrators on January 9, 1905. He was also a member of the Abramtsev circle, organizer of the “Polenovs” drawing evenings, led the landscape painting class at the Moscow School of painting, sculpture and architecture. In 1926 Polenov was awarded the title of the People’s Artist of the RSFSR. A Moscow Courtyard, painted in 1878, literally fascinated the audience and became the first painting by the artist, exhibited at a traveling exhibition. In 1879 he painted A Weedy Pond and in 1883 — A Pond in Abramtsevo. Zhukovka on Klyazma River dated 1889, was painted in several versions, now stored in the State Tretyakov Gallery and in the Nizhny Novgorod Art Museum. The story of creation of this painting can be found out from the artist’s letters to his sister. The Polenovs had a dacha in Zhukovka on the bank of Klyazma River. The painting depicts the curve on the right bank, where the artist most often worked.
The artist’s grandfather, Vasily Polenov, was an academician of Russian literature. His father, Dmitry, was a well-known diplomat, archaeologist and bibliographer. His mother, Maria Polenova, was the author of books for children, she was fond of painting.
Polenov in his youth took private painting lessons from Pavel Chistyakov and Ivan Kramskoy. He graduated from the Olonets provincial male gymnasium in Petrozavodsk, then joined the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of the Imperial St. Petersburg University. At the same time in the evenings he studied at the Imperial Academy of Arts as a non-degree student. He attended lectures on anatomy, history of arts and even on the descriptive geometry.
In 1863-1871 Polenov studied simultaneously at the Academy of Arts and at the Faculty of Law of the University of St. Petersburg. As a scholarship recipient of the Academy of Arts he visited Italy, France and Germany during 1872-1876. From 1881 to 1882 and 1899 he traveled in Syria, Palestine, Egypt and Greece. In 1876 he volunteered for the Serbian-Montenegro-Turkish War and was awarded a Montenegrin medal and a Serbian Order for his participation in battles. He was an artist at the headquarters of the heir to the throne Alexander on the Bulgarian front of the Russo-Turkish War in 1877-1878.
In 1892 he became a professor, and in 1893-1905 he was a member of the Academy of Arts. He terminated his membership in the Academy in protest against the shooting of demonstrators on January 9, 1905. He was also a member of the Abramtsev circle, organizer of the “Polenovs” drawing evenings, led the landscape painting class at the Moscow School of painting, sculpture and architecture. In 1926 Polenov was awarded the title of the People’s Artist of the RSFSR. A Moscow Courtyard, painted in 1878, literally fascinated the audience and became the first painting by the artist, exhibited at a traveling exhibition. In 1879 he painted A Weedy Pond and in 1883 — A Pond in Abramtsevo. Zhukovka on Klyazma River dated 1889, was painted in several versions, now stored in the State Tretyakov Gallery and in the Nizhny Novgorod Art Museum. The story of creation of this painting can be found out from the artist’s letters to his sister. The Polenovs had a dacha in Zhukovka on the bank of Klyazma River. The painting depicts the curve on the right bank, where the artist most often worked.
