Morning Mist over the Marsh

Born in Kybartai, Lithuania, Levitan studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, living in extreme poverty. In 1874-75 the Board of Teachers awarded him 'a box of paints and brushes' for his progress, who was already showing a preference for landscape painting; in 1876 he was accepted into the studio of Alexsei Savrasov, and exhibited two canvases at the 5th 'Wanderers' Moscow exhibition. In 1880, Levitan's entry Sokol'niki Park in his school's second Student's Exhibition was bought by Pavel Tret'iakov, which initiated public recognition of his talent as one of Russia's leading landscape artists and Impressionists.