Alexander Chirkin was born in Orel, the son of Dmitry Chirkin, a captain in the Imperial Army. After receiving a military education in the Orlovsky Bakhtin Cadet Corps, he served in a grenadiers regiment before retiring to attend the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts and dedicate himself to painting. In 1870 he joined the Peredvizhniki and was put in charge of organising their travelling exhibitions. He did not exhibit with them until 1876, after which he worked exclusively on commissioned paintings until his death.

Chirkin was especially sought out for his equestrian canvases. Chirkin has been recognised as one of the leading proponents of the equine painting genre and his commissions included the most prestigious thoroughbreds of the age.

The artist died in 1897 and a large part of his art collection was kept in his cousin’s manor house, Kritogo. Unfortunately, this residence was destroyed in a fire in 1919 and the collection was lost. Chirkin’s paintings can now be seen in the collection of the Museum of Horse Breeding in Moscow.