Depicted is a real situation that occurred in the family of Alexei Tomilov, a landowner and patron of the arts who lived in Staraya Ladoga. Tomilov''s son, an officer, leaving on his next campaign, is saying goodbye to his loved ones, his mother and his wife. On the right stands Alexei Tomilov himself, the father of the departing officer. The painting is considered to be among the earliest genre paintings, and Chernyshev received a gold medal, second class for it in 1850.
