Lake Silvaplana And Piz De La Margna, Engadine, Switzerland

Oil painting on canvas by the artist Clément Castelli depicting Lake Silvaplana and Piz de la Margna in the Engadine, near St. Moritz

Date: circa 1910
Provenance: France
Artist: Clément Castelli (1870–1959)
Technique: oil on canvas

Dimensions of artwork: 46 x 65 cm
Dimensions of artwork with frame:63 x 83 cm

Description:

Oil on canvas depicting an alpine vista with Lake Silvaplana and the massif of Piz de la Margna in the background, in the Engadine region near St. Moritz. The work bears the signature of Clément Castelli (1870–1959) in the lower right corner; he was an Italian painter who became a naturalized French citizen and specialized in mountain landscapes.

The composition is structured around overlapping horizontal planes. In the lower section, the body of water occupies about half of the pictorial surface, reflecting the mountain slope, the vegetation, and the cloud formations. In the center lies the shoreline, dotted with conifers and a small settlement, beyond which rises the face of Piz de la Margna.

The use of color demonstrates a varied application of pigment: fluid, diluted washes render the lake’s surface and its reflection, while textured brushstrokes and palette knife strokes delineate the rocky outcrops and snowfields. The palette is built on cool shades of blue, gray, and purple, contrasted with the earth tones and ochre hues of the coastal vegetation. The painting is set within a carved and lacquered wooden frame in shades of white and beige, featuring a metal plaque identifying the artist.

Born in Premia (Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Piedmont) in 1870 to a family originally from Varzo, Clément Castelli moved to Paris in 1880 to pursue his studies. He divided his entire life between France (Paris and the Alps) and Italy.
Trained at the Accademia Libera in Rome and having honed his skills through an artistic “Grand Tour” of Italy, he studied in France under the painters Jules Adler and Léon Bellemont. In 1925, he was a co-organizer and exhibitor at the Italian-Swiss Exhibition in Domodossola, where he received a medal from King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, and the municipality purchased two of his paintings.
An active member since 1927 of the prestigious Société des Peintres de Montagne (Society of Mountain Painters), and served as curator of its exhibitions from 1934 until his death, which occurred tragically in Paris in 1959 as a result of a traffic accident.

Career and Awards
-Paris Salons: He exhibited regularly at the Salon des Indépendants (since 1913), the Salon des Artistes Français (from 1921), at the Salon Violet (Silver Medal in 1938), and at the Salon d’Hiver between 1942 and 1951.
-Works in Museums: Two of his landscapes were acquired by the Louvre Museum (the first in 1948).
-Honors: Appointed Officier d’Académie (1933) and Officier de l’Instruction Publique (1948).
-Restoration Work: A well-known and highly regarded restorer of antique paintings and an expert in the technique of re-framing. In 1915, he discovered and restored an important 15th-century fresco in the parish church of Varzo.

Style and Subjects
Castelli is considered primarily a mountain painter, thanks in part to his skills as an expert mountaineer, which allowed him to reach high altitudes.
-Main Subjects: The great peaks of the French Alps (the Chamonix Valley, La Meije, the Oisans), the Swiss Alps (numerous views of the Matterhorn), and the Italian Alps. He also painted views of the Pyrenees (Gavarnie, Gaube, Ossau).
-Technique and Palette: A highly prolific artist, he painted both on canvas and on small wooden panels (easier to carry at high altitudes). His work is characterized by a classical brushstroke and a distinctive “cool” color palette, ideal for rendering the light and atmosphere of glaciers and Alpine valleys.
-Archival Note: His Paris studio was located at 4 Rue du Faubourg-du-Temple (often identifiable by a stamp on the back of the works).