Transparent air. Dents du Morcle. 29.09.2025. 16.5x26.5 cm

Transparent Air. Dents de Morcles. 29.09.2025

This original plein-air oil painting was created in Switzerland on a clear autumn day overlooking the Dents de Morcles mountain range. Painted directly outdoors, the work captures the rare transparency of alpine air, when distance seems to disappear and the mountains emerge with extraordinary clarity against the sky.

The Dents de Morcles form one of the most striking mountain massifs on the border between the cantons of Vaud and Valais. Their distinctive jagged silhouette rises above the Rhône Valley and remains visible from many areas surrounding Lac Léman (Lake Geneva). Known for their dramatic geological formations and commanding presence within the landscape, the mountains appear constantly transformed by changing weather, season and light. (Website)

On this September day, the atmosphere was exceptionally clear. The transparency of the air intensified the perception of distance, allowing the contours of the Dents de Morcles to appear sharply defined while still remaining suspended within the vast alpine space. Light moved across the slopes and rocky formations, revealing subtle tonal shifts that could only be observed under such conditions.

Rather than focusing on the mountain as a topographical subject alone, this painting explores the sensation of clarity itself. The title Transparent Air refers to the invisible element that shapes how a landscape is perceived. In the Alps, atmospheric conditions can transform an entire view, making familiar mountains seem suddenly closer, brighter and more present.

The Dents de Morcles occupy a unique geological position within the Swiss Alps and are renowned for their dramatic folded rock structures, which have become an important subject of geological study. Their powerful form contributes to some of the most recognizable mountain horizons of Western Switzerland. (Website)

Created during a single plein-air painting session, this work preserves a fleeting encounter with alpine light, atmosphere and space. The clarity of the air, the stillness of the season and the presence of the mountains became the central elements of the composition.

This painting belongs to my ongoing series dedicated to the landscapes of the Swiss Alps and the canton of Vaud. Each work records a direct experience of place, weather and changing natural light observed outdoors.

Original plein-air oil painting by Olga Tacan.

Location: Vaud, Switzerland
Subject: Dents de Morcles mountain range
Region: Swiss Alps, Vaud and Valais
Medium: Oil painting
Date painted: 29 September 2025

Oil on paper

Plain air painting

Size 16.5 cm x 26.5 cm

Size with passé-partout  28.5 x 38 cm 

Date: 29 September 2025

Location: Chesières, Vaud, Switzerland