The Two Mothers
Giovanni Segantini (1858 - 1899), 1884-1886
pastel on paper, 58.7 cm x 89.5 cm
Credits: The Mesdag Collection, The Hague
The two mothers of the title are a woman and a sheep. Both are bringing their offspring home at the end of the day. Segantini wanted to portray motherhood as something universal.
Segantini paid great attention to the effects of light in this pastel drawing. See, for example, the sun setting on the horizon, or the luminous glow on the back of the ewe.
Segantini was an Italian artist who exhibited in the Netherlands at the invitation of the Hollandsche Teekenmaatschappij (Dutch Drawing Society).