Charles-Henri Contencin ( 1898 - 1955 )

The Ailefroide, Grande Sagne and Barre des Ecrins, Dauphiné Alps, France


The Ailefroide, Grande Sagne and Barre des Ecrins, Dauphiné Alps, France


oil on panel, 32.5 x 46 cm, signed

item sold

Looking across the Glacier Blanc, from left to right, the Ailefroide, Grande Sagne, Barres des Ecrins and Dôme de Neige make up the imposing Massif des Ecrins. Contencin divided his composition into two distinct areas of shadow and light to create this striking high-altitude scene.
By filling the foreground with a diagonal silhouette in deep, cold shade, the glacier appears even brighter and beyond the sea of snow and ice, the Ecrins tower across the horizon. Using a highly individual palette and knowledge of snow in any light, Contencin could create depth on any scale.

Charles-Henri Contencin