Issac Levitan born in Lithuania part of the Russian empire. His family was poor but educated Jewish family. His Father naming Elyashiv levitan was the son of a Rabbi. His father worked as a translator for a French building company. In 1870 the family moved to Moscow.

In 1873 Issac Levitan began his studies in the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture.

Issac Levitan teachers were the famous Alexei Savrasov, Vasily Perov and Vasily Polenov. Issac’s family fell apart in 1875, after his mother died, his father became very ill and died in 1877. As a result his family slipped into poverty. Levitan was given a scholarship to being able to continue his studies.

In 1884 Levitan participated in the mobile art exhibition by the group known as the Peredvizhniki and in 1891 became a member. In 1897 he was elcted to the Imperial Academy of Arts and was the head of the Landscape Studio at his alma mater.

In 1900 he died after a terminal illness.  In April 1941 Levitan’s remains were moved to the Novodevichy Cemetery, next to Chekhov’s necropolis. Levitan did not have a family or children.