Was born on 25th (13 GC) October, 1860 in the family of a Nizhyn postman of the local postal station. He graduated from Nizhyn two-class school (1868-1870) and classical gymnasium at Nizhyn Bezborodko Historical and Philological Institute. On the facade of the house, where the artist was born (now a museum "Postal Station"), a memorial plaque (1970, sculptor S. Kantura) is placed. One of the streets in Nizhyn was named after him.

He graduated from the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts (1885). An academician (1890), a member of the Imperial Academy of Arts (1913), a honored artist of the RSFSR (1937), a laureate of the State Prize of the USSR (1941). He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1940)

Artistic heritage of more than 11,000 paintings, drawings, graphics and etchings, is kept in museums of Ukraine, Russia and in private collections (including foreign collections).