Eugène Etienne SORDET (1836-1915), 'Mountain Lake', oil on wood, signed below and dated 1890. H. 28.5 x 28 cm Please note: This mountain landscape by Eugène Sordet perfectly illustrates his roots in the tradition of Swiss Romanticism and his heritage from the Landscape School initiated by Alexandre Calame. The composition depicts a majestic Alpine setting, dominated by a lake with its deep reflections and steep relief bathed in diffused light. Here we find several elements that are characteristic of his work: a subtle interplay of light and shadow, a dramatic atmosphere reinforced by the clouds enveloping the peaks, and a grandiose natural setting in which man is relegated to a tiny scale. The slender fir tree in the foreground accentuates the effect of verticality and guides the eye towards the misty peaks, while the details of the rocky terrain and the chalet in the background bear witness to his meticulous observation of the Alpine landscape. Far from being a simple topographical representation, this work expresses a poetic vision of the mountains, where nature appears both imposing and soothing. With his mastery of contrasts and precise rendering of plant and mineral textures, Sordet perpetuates Calame's legacy while adding a more personal touch, blending naturalism and romanticism. Eugène Étienne Sordet (1836-1915) was a Swiss painter, best known for his landscapes, in the tradition of Swiss Romanticism. A pupil of Alexandre Calame (1810-1864), one of the greatest Swiss landscape painters of the 19th century, Sordet inherited from his master a meticulous attention to the effects of light and a realistic approach to Alpine nature. He favoured mountain and forest landscapes, characterised by the often dramatic play of light and shadow, and by his mastery of depicting natural atmospheres, with a romantic touch and an attention to detail typical of the Swiss Landscape School. He was one of a generation of artists who helped to perpetuate and enrich the heritage of nineteenth-century Swiss painting, celebrating nature through poetic realism. His pupil was Richard Ranft (1862-1931), and he acted as a bridge between the Swiss Romantic tradition and the emerging artistic trends of the turn of the 20th century.