Seeking out a new audience

Seeking out a new audience 

Loppé’s first ascent of Mont Blanc in July 1861, accompanied by the guide Auguste Balmat and the photographers Louis and Auguste Bisson, left a deep impression on him. Beyond the competitive aspect, it was an opportunity for him to produce many studies of the panoramic views. With a strong desire to convey the emotion he felt from the peaks to the viewers of his works, he chose very large formats.

In 1862, at London’s International Exhibition, where he entered in the category of Swiss painters, he observed the interest shown by British clients for monumental compositions of mountain landscapes. This prompted him to rent a studio in Geneva, where it was easier for him to produce works with large dimensions. As a stopping place for tourists on their way to Italy and France, Geneva also offered him the opportunity to raise his profile among wealthy art collectors. 

Now a regular summer resident in Chamonix, he rented and then purchased a piece of land where he had a wooden cabin built to serve as a studio and exhibition space. Loppé was sure that this location would prove to be a better showcase for his painted works depicting the Alpine peaks and developed an effective sales strategy.