Grande Sainte-Victoire

The gallery's
opinion

Grande Sainte-Victoire, the latest creation by Clotilde Philipon, is deeply rooted in the legacy of great masters, with a subtle yet powerful reference to Paul Cézanne. Painted on an unconventional support, an occulting canvas, this piece evokes the history of landscape painting while infusing a personal, contemporary vision. The choice of material imparts a weathered, distressed quality to the painting, as though it carries the weight of time—a modern take on the iconic mountain.

The pastel colours—soft pink, calming blue, and subtle orange—create an atmosphere that blends tenderness with nostalgia. This palette, borrowed from Impressionism, echoes Cézanne’s approach, particularly in his treatment of light and form. However, Clotilde Philipon brings a modern touch, where the softness of the hues and the blur of the form soften the rawness of nature. It is a reinterpretation of Mont Sainte-Victoire, the mountain so dear to Cézanne, through a poetic and delicate lens.

The occulting canvas veils the image, giving it a textured, aged appearance, like a distant memory that exudes a sense of deep nostalgia. Each brushstroke seems imbued with the passing of time, creating a dialogue between memory and reality, as a silent conversation between the artist and the Cézannian legacy.

Clotilde Philipon’s Grande Sainte-Victoire is not just an image; it is an invitation to contemplate the untamed beauty of the mountain across the ages, straddling both the Impressionist tradition and the artist’s intimate reinterpretation.