This elegant reclining woman is characteristic of the sensual representation of the human figure in the work of Spanish sculptor Baltasar Lobo, to which he returned repeatedly throughout his career. In 1939, Lobo escaped the fascist Franco regime to Paris and, thanks to Picasso's friendship and support, quickly found himself part of the Parisian avant-garde and the vibrant artistic community of Montparnasse. Lobo had a particularly close friendship with Henri Laurens, for whom he worked as an assistant.

Surrounded by the works of the most important modern sculptors Jean Arp, Constantin Brancusi, and Joan Miró, Lobo used the contours of the female form as a means of exploring abstraction. However, although Lobo explored the edges to abstraction, he maintained a constant connection to the balance, form, and femininity of naturalism. Lobo explained, "My current work, as always, is figurative; that is, it is abstract. It necessarily begins with figuration. Simplified and synthesized, it becomes abstraction. By simplifying this reality, I distill its emotions and can feel and communicate them more directly." In "A La Source," Lobo condensed the female form into its elemental twists and curves, inspired by the primitive art forms of early Iberian sculpture that also interested Picasso and Laurens. As with much of his work in bronze, Lobo worked extensively on the patina to allow his materials to complement the sensuality of the forms. The pensive reclining figure, as its title also reveals, is in the classical tradition of depicting fountain figures and spring nymphs, which originated in ancient Greek and Roman sculpture.

Despite the political turmoil that defined Lobo's early career, his deeply poetic sculptures earned him international acclaim and critical praise. During the phase of his late career, Lobo's work was eventually exhibited in his hometown of Zamora before a permanent museum was also established. In 1984, he was awarded the Spanish National Prize for Sculpture. Lobo's sculptures can be found in major international collections, including the Centro d'Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid; Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris; National Museum of Tokyo; Museum of Modern Art, Luxembourg; National Gallery, Prague; State Gallery, Stuttgart and Museum of Fine Arts, Bilbao.