Sacred Grove is the name by which this painting became known in Russian and under which it was included in the catalogue of Sergei Shchukin's collection. The back of the canvas carries the artist's own inscription: Figures dans un paysage de printemps. The artist also gave the piece a second name - Spring in the Forest. It is probable that the painting was acquired by Pavel Shchukin, its first Russian owner, under the name  Sacred Grove from the noted art-dealer Ambroise Vollard in whose gallery it was originally displayed. This title reflected what contemporaries perceived as the dependent connection of Denis's work to the monumental-decorative painting of Puvis de Chavannes whose composition of the same name was highly popular in the late nineteenth century.

The painting is linked to the theme of the Three Graces and also with the old custom of trying to divine the name of one's future spouse. The daisies and the wreath - a symbol of fate - are connected with fortune-telling. Pagan, secular and Christian motifs are interwoven in this work. The coming of spring is symbolized by the girls in white clothing. The deer is also an embodiment of spring while at the same time being the sacred beast of Diana and a symbol of the sense of hearing: the girls are listening to or for something - after all they have come to the grove to hear the voices of the gods.