Mikhail Nesterov worked prolifically in Sergiev Posad in the summer of 1888. The life of the monastery and monastic hermitages, remote from earthly worries and permeated with an inner meaning, made a particularly strong impression on the passionate and impulsive artist. It was there that he painted his studies for — the first work to bring him popular success. This tranquil and poetic work reflects Nesterov’s slightly pantheistic disposition. The artist believed that only by dissolving oneself in the surrounding nature could one achieve harmony — something one could only dream about in the secular world, particularly in the towns and cities. Nesterov also addressed the motif of pilgrimage and the search for the right path in life. Previously only the subjects of Russian classical literature, spiritual quests were a popular theme in other realms of creativity at the turn of the 20th century, including philosophy and fine art.