The Matterhorn

The Matterhorn rises immaculately from the heart of the Valais Alps. I've dreamed of bringing this portrait to life so many times. For over ten years, I watched the mountain every day. Waiting feverishly for the precise moment when this gigantic pyramid would appear totally whitewashed, like a diamond sparkling with purity. I took this black-and-white photograph by helicopter one summer morning. The Matterhorn had just weathered one of the rare storms that sweep through summits at this time of year. A moment made all the more exceptional by the fact that not a cloud could be seen on the horizon. Yet the mythical mountain attracts the vagaries of the weather. On the border between Switzerland and Italy, it braves all opposing currents. See how the Swiss summits are snow-covered on the right of the picture, while the Italian mountains are barely sprinkled on the left. The photograph immortalizes the Matterhorn in a way it is rarely seen.

Opposite us, the Hörnli ridge leads us along the normal route to the top of the mountain. To the right, the Zmutt ridge forms the crest of this rock sphinx, while to the left, the Furggen ridge is the most difficult route up to summit. In the background, one massif follows another. Do you recognize these legendary peaks? Visit The Dent d'Hérens plays with the shadow of the Matterhorn. Projected onto the Tête de Valpelline, it reveals the verticality of its walls. Then our gaze wanders from Grand Combin to Mont Blanc and its massif on the horizon.

I created this fabulous portrait of the Matterhorn to highlight its incomparable grandeur and purity. I chose soft contrasts to counterbalance its infinite power. To give it the central place it deserves. Under the benevolent gaze of Mont Blanc, it dominates the valleys. King of the Alps and a jewel of nature, the Matterhorn is without doubt the most beautiful mountain in the world.