Landscapist Fyodor Vasiliev created the study to the painting Evening. He lived a very short life, only 23 years, but he managed to create more than 100 pieces and became one of the most prominent authors in the history of Russian art. His paintings convey the beauty and poetry of Russian nature. Today the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum and the Hermitage hold the best pieces of Vasiliev

Fyodor Vasiliev was born in Gatchina. When he was 12, he worked with his father at the Central Post Office, and started drawing in his loose hours. Later he moved to Saint Petersburg where he joined the Drawing School of the Society for Encouraging Arts. In 1867, the young author established contacts with well-known artists Ivan Kramskoy and Ivan Shishkin. Together with Shishkin he went to the Valaam Island and spent about half a year there painting landscapes.

These two artists were connected not only as professionals. In the fall of 1868, Shishkin married Eugenia, the sister of Fyodor Vasiliev. In the same year, the young landscapist participated in the exhibition where he presented his painting In the Island of Valaam. Stones. Count Pavel Stroganov, a prominent benefactor and collector, paid attention to this painting; he bought it and took the 17-year-old artist under his patronage. Stroganov provided funding, invited him to his estates Znamenskoye in Tambov province and Khoten in Sumy province. During his stay, the artist often took the carriage to travel around and to paint local landscapes. Several years after, the young artist went to a trip along the Volga River together with Ilya Repin and Evgeniy Makarov. During this trip, Vasiliev created dozens of studies and drawings, which later on formed the foundation for his well-known landscapes Views of the Volga River. The Barks and Volga Lagoons.

Fyodor Vasiliev painted the study for his painting Evening in Znamenskoye estate in 1869. He spent almost all summer there as a guest of Pavel Stroganov. To depict the sunset, the artist used lilac, purple, golden-hued and reddish colors conveying the warm atmosphere of the fading day and summer. The leaves on the trees have already turned yellow, and we can see birds in the sky preparing to fly away to the southern skies. Vasiliev loved the end of the day: he dedicated a good dozen of his paintings to this time — Evening in the Crimea, Night is Falling. Autumn Landscape, Evening (The Landscape with a Water Mill. Before the Thunderstorm and many others.