The reverse inscribed in Russian: 'The drawing by Professor I. E. Repin; Abramtsevo (former Aksakovs'), the est[ate] of Savva Iv[anovich] Mamontov. Descending: Emilia L'vovna Prakhova with... waiting gardener Ksenofont; on the left of the col[umn] Was[ilii] Dm[itrievich] Polenov,...Vict[or] Mikh[ailovich] Vasnetsov, with raised arm Savva Iv[anovich] Mamontov, the last on the right engin[eer] Artsibashev; testified by the daughter of Prof[essor] I.E.Repin Vera Il['inichna] Repina, 1936, Kuokkala, Penati'.

In 1870 the Mamontovs bought Abramtsevo, near Moscow, from the Aksakov family and during the next two decades it was to become one of the most significant centres of cultural activity. Repin met Savva Mamontov in Paris in 1873 and was a frequent guest of at his house.