Осенние листья

1873–1885

Friends from school: Korovin, Nesterov, Shekhtel, N. Chekhov

During his years at the school Levitan befriends Konstantin Korovin, Mikhail Nesterov, the architect Fyodor Shekhtel and the painter Nikolay Chekhov — the writer's brother, who entered the school in 1875.

1877

Savrasov takes him into his landscape class

Alexei Savrasov, a friend of Perov, notices Levitan's talent and takes him into his own landscape class.

3 February 1877

The death of his father from typhus

On 3 February 1877 his father dies of typhus; a time of extreme want begins for Levitan, his brother and sisters. Isaac himself is then studying in the “life class” under Vasily Perov.

March 1877

His first exhibition: a small silver medal

In March 1877 two of Levitan's works shown at an exhibition are noted by the press; the sixteen-year-old artist receives a small silver medal and 220 roubles “to make it possible to continue his studies”.

1879

Expelled from Moscow after the attempt on the tsar

After Alexander Soloviev's attempt on Alexander II (2 April), a decree is issued forbidding Jews to live in Moscow, and the eighteen-year-old Levitan is expelled; for the next couple of years he lives with his brother, sister and brother-in-law in a small dacha at Saltykovka near Balashikha. A year later, with the money from the sale of his painting “Evening after Rain”, he rents a furnished room on Bolshaya Lubyanka.

1880

Tretyakov buys “Autumn Day” for 100 roubles

The famous philanthropist and art collector Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov buys the painting for 100 roubles and will go on to acquire about twenty more of Levitan's works.