Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov, born on May 20 (June 1) 1844 in St. Petersburg, came from an educated noble family. His father, Dmitry Vasilyevich Polenov, was a diplomat with a passion for archaeology and bibliography, while his mother, Maria Alexeyevna Polenova, née Voieykova, was the granddaughter of architect N. A. Lvov, a writer, and a talented artist.

His parents aimed to instill hard work and an interest in science and art in their children. Two of the five children became artists. The first lessons in drawing and painting were given by Maria Alexeyevna, and later, a student of the Academy of Arts, P. P. Chistyakov, who later became a well-known educator, was invited. In the 1860s, Vasily Dmitrievich studied at the University and the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. In the spring of 1871, he graduated from the University, earning the title of candidate of law.

In the autumn of 1871, Polenov was awarded a large gold medal at the Academy of Arts for his painting "The Resurrection of the Daughter of Jairus" and received the opportunity to travel around Europe for six years at the Academy's expense.

During his trip, Polenov worked in various genres of painting, paying special attention to plein air, as evidenced by numerous sketches with new motifs and complex plein air tasks.

The appearance of Polenov's first intimate landscapes in the mid-1870s, such as "Moscow Courtyard," "Grandmother's Garden," and "Gray Day," was an unexpected event. These works were distinguished by freshness, truthfulness, subtle lyricism, and elegant technique, as noted by Ostrooukh. Polenov became a pioneer of a new Russian painting, developing lyrical landscape.

The artist worked for a long time on a series of paintings about the life of Christ, striving to depict him as already having come into the world. He created more than fifty paintings on evangelical themes. To achieve historical accuracy, Polenov traveled to the East, bringing back numerous materials, notes, and costumes from Syria, Egypt, and Palestine.

In the 1880s, Polenov was actively engaged in artistic and educational activities. For twelve years, he taught at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture, nurturing artists such as I. Levitan, K. Korovin, I. Ostrooukh, A. Arkhipov, and S. Ivanov.

Music also played an important role in Polenov's life. Lacking formal education, he composed operas and romances and organized home musical evenings.

The construction of a country estate on the banks of the Oka allowed Polenov to showcase another facet of his talent. Here he painted, composed music, planted trees, built a dam, and assisted in boat construction.

Polenov was actively involved in issues of public education, building two schools in nearby villages. In the 1920s, he created a diorama representing a round-the-world journey in pictures, which became a celebration for peasant children.

Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov passed away on July 18, 1927, at the age of 83. In 1926, he became one of the first to be awarded the title of People's Artist of Russia. He was buried on a high bank of the Oka in the village of Bekhovo, in a simple cemetery, where a wooden cross was erected on his grave according to his sketch.