Moscow Patio (1878) - Vasily Polenov Vasily Polenov grew up in St. Petersburg, Russia. He grew up in a wealthy, educated family with a father who was an archaeologist, and a mother who was a painter. He attended the Imperial Academy of the Arts, and simultaneously attained a law degree from St. Petersburg University. After graduating from the Academy, he spent about 5 years living in Europe before returning to Russia to serve as a War Artist in the Russo-Turkish War. After the war he painted and taught in Moscow, eventually building a home and museum in the nearby countryside. This scene depicts an alley on Arbat Street, one of the oldest streets in Moscow. It used to be a major road leading from the Kremlin out of the city to the West. at the time of this paining, the area was inhabited mostly by Moscow's lower nobility, creating a community of artists, musicians, and writers. Currently, the street is a pedestrian zone that attracts tourists to the historical buildi...
