Mill and Chapel (Le Moulin et la chapelle) 1923

Andre Dunoyer de Segonzac made this etching, Mill and Chapel, sometime in the first half of the 20th century. It depicts a rural scene in which the titular buildings appear on opposite sides of a river, surrounded by foliage. Segonzac was a traditionalist who disdained the radical avant-garde movements in Paris. This is clear in his choice of subject matter, a quaint scene that feels more like a 19th-century landscape. There's a nostalgic yearning for a pre-industrial era that was quickly disappearing in Europe. Segonzac’s printmaking style, with its rough, hatched lines, is reminiscent of earlier artists such as Rembrandt. This also suggests a conscious rejection of the modern and a desire to connect with the artistic traditions of the past. Art historians look to period documents, such as exhibition reviews and artist statements, to further contextualize the image and Segonzac's place in the art world.