A person’s mien reveals the landscape of a life. In their expressive presence, not only do the eyes speak, but every detail of the face’s features and folds tell of a life that has been lived. Therefore, it may not be entirely surprising that Giovanni Segantini, celebrated during his lifetime as a landscape painter and an innovator in Alpine paintings, saw the portrait as the noblest genre of art. It is all the more astonishing that this theme has received very little attention until now. The Segantini Museum in St. Moritz is now closing this gap with an exhibition and this companion catalogue. Assembled from private and public collections, this is the first exhibit to present Segantini’s impressive portraits. An enchanting series of pictures, whose views of the models’ lives also provides insight into the artist’s life as well.


GIOVANNI SEGANTINI (1858–1899) began his career at the Brera Art Academy in Milan. He became famous for his pointillist depictions of the Alps, as well as being a pioneer in Symbolism. His portraits are no less superior and open up new facets in the master’s oeuvre.