Charles-Henri Contencin ( 1898 - 1955 )

Le Col des Montets en hiver, Chamonix, France.


Le Col des Montets en hiver, Chamonix, France.


oil on panel 19¾ x 28¾in (50 x 73cm) signed Peaks & Glaciers 2019, p. 50

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Contencin painted this view of Mont Blanc from between Le Col des Montets and La Flégère on the south side of the Chamonix valley. The sweep of cart tracks going down past the snowbound hay lofts draws the viewer’s gaze into the composition. Equally, the hazy sky above the peaks softens the atmosphere to enhance the sense of distance beyond the stands of fir trees. Throughout his mountainscapes, the painter excelled at creating great depth and in this instance, high up over the cloudy valley, soar the tops of the Aiguille du Plan, the Aiguille du Midi and those of Mont Blanc several miles away.

Charles-Henri Contencin