Vladimir Makovsky was born into a creative family. His mother Lyubov Mollengauer was a singer and teacher at the Moscow Conservatory. His father Yegor Makovsky was a member of the Moscow Art Society and one of the founders of the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Vladimir Makovsky studied there between 1861 and 1866.

There were three sons in the Makovsky family — Nikolay, Konstantin, and Vladimir. They were surrounded by a creative atmosphere from a young age. Famous painters often visited their house, gave lessons to the children, and allowed them to visit their workshops. Vladimir Makovsky received his first art lessons from Vasily Tropinin. At the age of 15, he created the painting “A Boy Selling Kvass” under the guidance of the famous master. It eventually ended up in the Tretyakov Gallery.

In 1872, Vladimir Makovsky joined the Society for Traveling Art Exhibitions. He became a board member in 1874 and continued participating in the society’s exhibitions throughout his life. For two years, Vladimir Makovsky taught at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Later, he was invited to become the head of the genre art workshop at the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, taking over after the death of Vasiliy Perov. He worked there for 24 years.

Vladimir Makovsky was a prolific artist. Approximately 1,500 of his paintings are known. His oeuvre can be considered a visual encyclopedia of contemporary Russian life. The artist depicted the lives of people from various walks of life and most social classes. He portrayed merchants, officials, nobles, intellectuals, petit bourgeois, craftsmen, workers, peasants, soldiers, gendarmes, and prisoners. His art was imbued with the spirit of critical realism. Through his paintings, Vladimir Makovsky addressed current issues, showing scenes from everyday life (“Date”, “On the Boulevard”, “I Won’t Let You In!”). The ideology of Narodnichestvo and the pursuit of truth can be traced throughout his art. However, many of his paintings were characterized by humor and an optimistic view of life. His art was also influenced by his personal life, particularly by his marriage and the birth of his two sons. He created a series of paintings exploring the world of childhood. In these cheerful images, the artist depicted children playing, engaged in various activities, and living their carefree lives.