The Two Mothers
Giovanni Segantini (1858 - 1899), 1884-1886
pastel on paper,
58.7 cm x 89.5 cm
The Mesdag Collection, The Hague
The two mothers in the title are a woman and an ewe. Both are taking their offspring home at the end of the day. Segantini wanted to depict the universality of motherhood.
In this pastel drawing Segantini lavished attention on the light effects. Notice the sun setting on the horizon and the ewe’s lit-up back.
Segantini was an Italian artist who exhibited his drawings in the Netherlands at the invitation of the Hollandsche Teekenmaatschappij (Dutch Watercolour Society).