Love at the Source of Life 1896

Giovanni Segantini made this etching, “Love at the Source of Life,” in the late 19th century, a period when artists across Europe were trying to define the essence of modern life. Segantini's symbolist style, evident in the image's dreamlike quality and allegorical subject, departs from conventional realism. Made in Italy, the artwork reflects a broader European movement exploring themes of nature, motherhood, and the cycle of life. It critiques the industrial revolution and rapid urbanization by idealizing the rural landscape. The print suggests a yearning for a return to simpler, more natural ways of life. The image, like many of the period, invites us to consider how the rapidly changing social and economic conditions of the time influenced art’s focus on the natural world. Further research into Segantini’s biography, the symbolist art movement, and the socio-economic conditions in Italy at the time would reveal more about the work.