Oxide heterostructures provide unique opportunities to modify the properties of quantum materials through a targeted manipulation of spin, charge, and orbital states. Here, we use resonant x-ray reflectometry to probe the electronic structure of thin slabs of ${\mathrm{YVO}}_{3}$ embedded in a superlattice with $\mathrm{La}\mathrm{Al}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$. We extend the previously established methods of reflectometry analysis to a general form applicable to ${t}_{2g}$ electron systems and extract quantitative depth-dependent x-ray linear dichroism profiles. Our data reveal an artificial, layered orbital polarization, where the average occupation of $xz$ and $yz$ orbitals in the interface planes next to $\mathrm{La}\mathrm{Al}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ is inverted compared to the central part of the ${\mathrm{YVO}}_{3}$ slab. This phase is stable down to 30 K and the bulklike orbital ordering transitions are absent. We identify the key mechanism for the electronic reconstruction to be a combination of epitaxial strain and spatial confinement by the $\mathrm{La}\mathrm{Al}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ layers, in good agreement with predictions from ab initio theory.