La Source 1837 - 1876

This print, ‘La Source’, was created by C. Derancourt in the 1800s. It features a woman draped in white fabric, set against a backdrop of nature. The print is immediately striking for its composition and the textural interplay between the figure and the surrounding landscape. Derancourt uses the interplay between light and shadow. The contrast is most evident in the detailed rendering of the waterfall against the dark trees. This contrast draws our eyes to the symbolic purity often associated with water. The woman becomes an allegorical figure, embodying the source itself. The artist destabilizes traditional portraiture by integrating the figure of a woman with natural elements. In doing so, Derancourt invites us to question the relationship between humans and the natural world, and the role of representation in shaping our understanding. Consider how Derancourt’s print functions as a site where cultural values and artistic representation intersect.