The winds are raging at summit on Mont Blanc, king of the French Alps. I took this stunning photograph from Italy. It's from here that the mountain reveals its most spectacular silhouette and wildest personality. Opposite us, in black and white, are the most difficult routes to the summit of Mont Blanc from Courmayeur. On the left, the Brouillard traverse winds its way through several summits at altitudes of over 4,000 metres: Pointe Baretti, Mont Brouillard and Pointe Louis Amédée. On the right, the integral traverse of Peuterey links the Aiguille Noire de Peuterey, Dames Anglaises and the Aiguille Blanche de Peuterey.

In the mist, the central pillar of the Frêney can be seen, beneath the crest of Mont Blanc de Courmayeur. A sombre witness to the drama that unfolded on its flanks in the summer of 1961. Four seasoned mountaineers succumbed to the onslaught of a terrifying storm. The tragic fate of a man who, despite all his efforts, remains subject to the ultimate will of nature. Walter Bonatti survived this tragedy, magnificently recounted by Virginie Troussier in her book Au milieu de l'été, un invincible hiver.

I took this portrait of Mont Blanc in the spring, as a storm from Italy swept across the northern Alps. In the photograph, the high mountain is still struggling against the raging winds that are blowing summits. But it won't give in to the fury of the elements, sovereign and unchanging. It took me several years before I was able to immortalize the Mont Blanc massif in this way. On that day, nature offered me a glimpse of her absolute beauty. What incredible luck I had! All the conditions that make my art an ode to the mountains were present. Snow clung to the rock faces, clouds roamed the valley and mist covered summits. In creating this impressive panorama of the most famous massif in the Alps, I wanted to convey the infinite power of the mountains. The painting is full of emotion. When I look at it, I'm transported to another world, sublime and authentic. I marvel at the relief and dream of the ridges, accessible only to the most experienced mountaineers.