“Head of a Jew” is a study that Vasily Polenov created for his most prominent work “Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery”. The painting is more than six meters wide. It was inspired by “The Appearance of Christ Before the People” by Alexander Ivanov and is displayed at the State Russian Museum.

Vasily Polenov spent twenty years preparing and creating this painting. Looking for sitters and new experiences, Polenov went on a long journey through the Bible places in Egypt, Syria, Constantinople, and Palestine. Later, he also visited Italy in search of Jewish models. According to the notes of his wife, every day Polenov painted one or two portraits from life. During that time, he created the study “Head of a Jew” which was included in the final painting without any significant changes.

The painting “Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery” was initially named “Is Anyone Among You Without Sin?”. This is how the artist Vasily Polenov interpreted the famous biblical episode in which an adulteress was brought before Christ for judgment. As prescribed by the Law of Moses, the crime was punishable by death by stoning, but Christ believed that it was necessary to show mercy. In the end, she was forgiven.

Vasily Polenov took an unconventional approach to the painting’s composition by shifting the emphasis. He moved Christ and his disciples to the sidelines, focusing on the accuser and the sinner. The artist did not merely illustrate a biblical episode but also asked the viewers, “Is anyone among you without sin?” Censors raised objections to this artistic decision and banned the painting from participating in exhibitions. The fate of the painting was determined by Emperor Alexander III who saw its true value and bought it for his personal collection, thus ensuring its safety.

Vasily Polenov was a man of great talent and versatile cultural education. He was born into an intellectual noble family in Saint Petersburg. Polenov was brought up by his grandmother who herself had grown up at the house of Gavrila Derzhavin, a poet of the Age of Enlightenment. The artist’s father was a historian and archaeologist, and his mother was a painter and a children’s writer. The impeccable upbringing and education helped Vasily Polenov to become a People’s Artist of the RSFSR, a groundbreaker, and a unique teacher.