Giovanni Segantini (actually Giovanni Segatini) was born on January 15, 1858, in Arco, Italy. When his parents died very early, he was taken to a half sister, though he ran away soon thereafter. Because he had no papers, he was brought to a reform school. Here he was trained as a cobbler. A priest who took care of him from that time on noticed his talent for drawing. In 1874, Segantini began studying at the art academy Brera in Milan, where he first achieved artistic success. In 1877, he met Luigia Bugatti, whom he never married, because he had no identification papers. He had four children with her: Gottardo, Alberto, Mario, and Bianca. From 1880 until 1886, he lived with his family in Pusiano in Brianza. He then left his family to live in Switzerland. Segantini lived first in Savognin in Oberhalbstein, then in Maloja in Engadine. He is regarded as a Symbolist. One of his most well known works is his Alpine triptych, which consists of three parts: "Life," "Nature," and "Death." These paintings were produced between 1896 and 1899 and are in the possession of the Segantini Museum in St. Moritz. He died on September 28, 1899, at the Schafberg near Pontresina.