The animal painter Alexey Stepanovich Stepanov was born in Simferopol in 1858 in the family of a nobleman, an officer, and a veteran of the Crimean War. At the age of five, Alexey Stepanov was orphaned. His guardian took the boy to Moscow and got him a placement in a branch of the Institute of Company Officers’ Orphans.

He studied at the First Men’s Gymnasium and later — at the surveying department of the Konstantinovsky Land Surveying Institute.

His skill in drawing and drafting enabled Alexey Stepanov to enroll in the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture at the age of 25. He studied under the artist Illarion Mikhailovich Pryanishnikov and the master of historical, religious and genre painting Yevgraf Semyonovich Sorokin.

Stepanov often went hunting, observed nature and drew wild animals. He was well versed in the anatomy of animals and was an expert in the breeds of dogs and horses. His greatest pleasure was to paint scenes of dog hunting with greyhounds and beagles. As a student, Alexey Stepanov began to cooperate with the magazine “Nature and Hunting”. This creative cooperation with the magazine lasted 12 years. From 1883 to 1895 the magazine published about 100 drawings by the artist.

In 1884, his graduation work “Father and Son, or Military Conversation” earned him the Grand Silver Medal and the title of Class Artist. At the age of 31, Alexey Stepanov became a teacher in the class of animalistic painting at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. He was awarded the title of Professor there and worked for 29 years.

In 1891, after the great success of the painting “Cranes Flying”, the artist was made a member of the Society of Traveling Art Exhibitions. At the age of 36, Stepanov traveled around Europe, visiting Germany, Switzerland, France and Northern Italy. This tour influenced his work, in particular, he was fascinated by the paintings of the French Impressionists. The artist’s painting “Morning Greetings” was a great success at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900.

In 1905, Alexey Stepanov was awarded the title of Academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts for this painting.

In 1903, Alexey Stepanov became one of the founders of the Union of Russian Artists. He was one of those who signed a collective statement of withdrawal from the Society of Traveling Art Exhibitions.

In 1920, the artist fell ill and passed away at the age of 65.

The painting “Winter” was transferred to the Alexander Grigoriev Art and History Museum from Moscow in 1924.