Edgar Payne (1883-1947) - Swiss Mountains, 1923

Born in 1883 in Washburn, Missouri, Edgar Payne was an American painter. A self-taught artist, he studied for a time at the Art Institute of Chicago. He began his career painting murals and sets for the theatre, before turning to landscapes, which were to fascinate him for the rest of his life. Although the American West was a major source of inspiration for him, he also explored Mexico, Canada and Europe.

In 1909, while on a sketching trip to San Francisco, he met Elsie Palmer (1884-1971), also a painter, whom he married in 1912. For several years the couple lived in Chicago, before settling in California at Laguna Beach in 1918. In the summer of 1922 they travelled to Europe, where they painted and exhibited. Between 1922 and 1924 they travelled to Paris, Provence, Brittany, Venice and Switzerland. They returned to Europe four years later for a second visit. Nourished by the different landscapes he discovered on these trips, Edgar Payne painted many works. Switzerland and its majestic mountains formed a large part of his oeuvre.

Influenced by the French Impressionist tradition, Edgar Payne has cultivated a distinctive style, using dynamic and expressive brushstrokes. He paints on location in the open air, trying to capture the quality of the light and the grandeur of the spaces he assiduously seeks out. His distinctive brushstrokes capture the vibrant atmosphere of the landscapes he paints, revealing their depth through a bold palette of colours.

Our work immerses us in a typical Swiss landscape. Against the bluish sky, a majestic mountain range emerges through a subtle interplay of light and shadow. In front, the artist has painted a modest wooden chalet in purplish tones. Using a bright, colourful palette, the painting conveys the grandeur and serenity of nature, inviting viewers to contemplate.

Edgar Payne’s works are now exhibited in prestigious collections and museums such as the Chicago Art Museum, the Southwest Museum of Los Angeles and the Pasadena Art Institute.