about the work

The Aiguille Verte (4122m) is a mythical summit of the Mont-Blanc massif. It stands alone, dominating the surroundings. Far below, the remnants of the Mer de glace (Sea of Ice) flow slowly along its flanks. The needle is massive, impressive. It is a fortress that remained undefeated for a long time: it succumbed to the reckless attempts of the famous Whymper on June 29, 1865; and, on the 14th of the month Next, the intrepid English mountaineer triumphed over a small Valaisan rock called the Matterhorn.

This photograph of the Aiguille Verte is unique. I wanted to show the western side of this mountain by lining up the three main historical routes of ascent, routes of legend. On the left, the unnamed ridge shines in its glitter of ice and snow: it is the brightest part of this work. In the center, the Monk's ridge tears through the composition like a bolt of lightning. It gives all its strength to this picture. Between rock and ice, it rises powerfully towards the sky, piercing a thick sea of clouds. On the right, in the mysterious and deep shadow of this celestial kingdom, the edge of the Garden remains discreet, bathed in the deep blacks of the massif. In a Light-obscure, the Whymper corridor appears, perilous and inhospitable, although it is the easiest way of access.

The strength of this photograph is the mastery of contrasts. Everything is there, harmoniously distributed: the bright whites of the needle embellished by the last rays of the sun still touching the peaks; the play of the powerful greys, drawing the buttresses of summit; the ebony of the rocks peeling the volutes of creamy clouds... this work is a dream, a mixture of impressions. Alive, it moves, comes to life. The attentive spectator feels the powerful breath of the wind; the tepidness of the dying rays; the eternal and mystical silence of the night settling after a winter storm. Everything in this picture calls for verticality: the edges clash, the rocks rise. The earth and the sky resonate in unison.

With the Matterhorn, theEiger and the Grandes Jorasses, this mountain is a challenge: it is a wild diamond.