Henri Mège (1904-1984), « Nuit Aux Marches », Mont Granier, Savoie, 1970, Oil On Board

Henri Mège (1904-1984), « Nuit aux Marches », Mont Granier, Savoie, 1970, signed oil on board, nocturne, professor at the École des Beaux-Arts in Saigon

Painting by Henri Mège (1904-1984), painter of Indochina and professor at the École des Beaux-Arts in Saigon from 1950 to 1956, « Nuit aux Marches » (Night at Les Marches), oil on canvas-laid board dated September 1970: a nocturnal landscape of the plain of Les Marches, at the gates of Chambéry, overlooked by the truncated limestone table of Mont Granier, the northern rampart of the Chartreuse massif. The composition rises in successive planes (a meadow enclosed by fence posts, trees with branching trunks and farm roofs, a branch as repoussoir, a cliff emerging from the mist), in a manner Mège retained from his years in Indochina. Under a diffuse moonlight that whitens the meadow, the palette narrows to pearl greys, silvery blues and water greens. Presented in an antique giltwood frame with a wide cove and an unbleached linen liner.

« Nuit aux Marches, Savoie », September 1970. Oil on canvas-laid board, signed lower right « Henri Mège », titled, located, dated and countersigned on the reverse. The night view takes in the plain of Les Marches near Chambéry, at the foot of Mont Granier.

In the background, the Granier rises clear of the mist. This limestone summit, its plateau as if sliced clean, closes the Chartreuse massif to the north and is among the most instantly recognisable silhouettes in Savoie. At its foot lie the Abymes de Myans, born of the great rockfall of 1248, and the vineyards of Abymes and Apremont, at the entrance to the Combe de Savoie.

In detail, the foreground is taken up by a meadow enclosed by fence posts. In the middle ground, two trees with branching trunks and a few farm roofs. On the right, the dark mass of a large tree, and in the upper left corner a branch as repoussoir. Far in the distance, the cliff drowned in mist. The diffuse moonlight pales the grass and bathes the whole scene in a narrow range of pearl greys, silvery blues and water greens. Generous handling: foliage in rich strokes, partly with the palette knife, marked impasto in the foliage of the upper left corner, a fine relief of paint visible in raking light. The nocturnal subject gives this small format a singular atmosphere. Mège returned several times to the Granier, which he painted notably from around Apremont, as well as to night effects, in Savoie as in Indochina.

Born in Romans-sur-Isère and trained by his mother, the painter Isabelle Mège, Henri Mège first followed a military career that took him to Indochina in 1931. He stayed there for many years, befriended Mai Thu and taught at the École des Beaux-Arts in Saigon from 1950 to 1956. Settling in Chambéry on his return, he devoted the rest of his work to Savoyard landscapes: the Lac du Bourget, the surroundings of Chambéry, Alpine reliefs. From his Asian period he kept a taste for mists, veiled light and layered planes.

On the reverse, handwritten inscriptions by the artist: « Nuit “aux Marches” Savoie (septembre 1970) (au fond : le mont Granier) », countersigned « Henri Mège ». Below, a largely faded autograph dedication, of which a few words remain (« …souvenir… », « …talent… »), signed and dated « Chambéry 17 mars 1971 », less than a year after the painting was made. Signature on the front, countersignature, title, location and two dates on the back: the work is documented by the painter's own hand. From a private French collection.

The antique frame is in giltwood, with a wide cove edged with fillets and listels. A liner covered in unbleached linen and a gilt inner slip complete the framing. Its proportions suit the small format of the work and set it off well.

Beyond a study or a library, this intimate painting suits a bedroom or an entrance hall. A Savoyard chalet or the collection of a lover of Alpine painting will welcome it just as naturally.

Paint layer in perfect condition, with no grime or yellowed varnish. Board perfectly flat. Frame in very good condition, with some rubbing and small losses of gilding on the edges, the corners and the inner slip, revealing the red undercoat, and wear on the reverse. On the back of the board, lighter areas and the faded dedication. Wear limited to the frame and the reverse, giving the whole a patina without affecting the painting. Ready to hang as is, no intervention needed.

Dimensions:
• Board: 27 x 35 cm (10.6 x 13.8 in)
• Sight size: 25.5 x 33.5 cm (10 x 13.2 in)
• Frame: 37.5 x 46 cm (14.8 x 18.1 in)

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