The forests and their trees give superb strong tones in which violet
predominates--above all, in the shadows--and give value to the green
tones of the grass. The upright stems show bare with colours as of
stones and of rocks--grey, tawny, flushed, always very luminous (like an
agate) in the reflections: the whole takes a sombre colour which vies in
vigour with the foreground.
A magnificent spectacle is that of mountains covered with ice and snow,
towards evening, when the clouds roll up and hide their base. The
summits may stand out in places against the sky. The blue background at
such a time emphasises the warm gold colour of the shadows, and the
lower parts are lost in a deep and sinister grey. We have seen this
effect at Kandersteg.
_Dutilleux._