Hochgebirgsstudie (1870)

Edward Theodore Compton prints bring the high Alps into your home: snowy peaks, glaciers, rocky ridges and seas of cloud seen from the summits. Compton was an English-born German painter, illustrator and mountaineer who made around 300 major ascents, including 27 first ascents, and painted the mountains with rare accuracy. This collection gathers art prints of his alpine views, from the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa to the Dolomites, along with lakes, villages and coastal scenes.

About Edward Theodore Compton

Edward Theodore Compton was born on 29 July 1849 in Stoke Newington, London, into a Quaker family. He attended various art schools, including briefly the Royal Academy in London, but was largely self-taught. In 1867 the family moved to Darmstadt in Germany, where he and his father taught drawing; Princess Alice of Hesse was among his pupils.

On a family trip to the Bernese Oberland in 1868, the sight of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau rising above the mist inspired him to become a mountain painter and climber. He moved to Munich in 1869 and first exhibited at the Glass Palace there two years later. In 1872 he married Auguste Plötz, and in 1874 they settled at Feldafing on Lake Starnberg.

Compton traveled through the Alps and far beyond, to Scandinavia, North Africa, Corsica, Spain, the Scottish Highlands and the Colombian Andes. He illustrated many books for the German and Austrian Alpine Association and for English publishers. His son Edward Harrison Compton and daughter Dora also became mountain painters. He died at Feldafing on 22 March 1921.

Style and Subjects

Compton combined an artist's eye with a climber's knowledge. His roughly 1,700 mountain pictures, in oil, watercolor and pen and ink, are both striking and topographically precise, showing every ridge, glacier and rock face as it really is.

His favorite subjects were the high peaks of Switzerland, Austria and the Dolomites, seen in morning light, above seas of cloud or under fresh snow. He also painted alpine villages, lakes, mountain huts and, on his travels, coasts such as Capri and the Welsh mountains.

Famous Works

• The Jungfrau (1887 and 1890), Vanderbilt Museum of Art and Manchester Art Gallery. The peak that inspired him to become a mountain painter.
• Climbers Surmounting a Cornice on the North-East Ridge of the Meije (1896). Climbers on a knife-edge snow ridge in the French Alps.
• Glacier de Saleinaz (1906). A great glacier in the Swiss Valais.
• Marmolada – Dolomites (1910), Messner Mountain Museum. The highest peak of the Dolomites.
• Snow Scene on the Col d'Orny, Valais (1914), Sheffield Galleries and Museums Trust. A high pass under snow.
• The Matterhorn from the Triftkumme. Switzerland's most famous peak.
• Above the Sea of Clouds (Monte Rosa from the Rimpfischhorn). A summit view over the clouds.

Decorating with Compton Prints

Compton's alpine views are perfect for a chalet, cabin or mountain-lover's home, and they bring fresh, open space to a living room, study or hallway. Their crisp whites, rocky grays and deep blue skies look striking in simple black or natural wood frames.

His gentler lake and village scenes suit a bedroom or kitchen, and a series of peaks makes a great gallery wall for anyone who loves hiking and climbing.

FAQ

Who was E.T. Compton?

Edward Theodore Compton was an English-born painter, illustrator and mountaineer who lived in Germany from the age of 18. He is known for his accurate and dramatic paintings of the Alps.

What did Edward Theodore Compton paint?

He painted mountains above all: the Swiss Alps, the Austrian Alps and the Dolomites, as well as mountain ranges in Scandinavia, Scotland, North Africa and South America. He made around 1,700 mountain pictures.

Was Compton a mountaineer?

Yes. He made around 300 major ascents, including 27 first ascents, and often painted the views he saw on his climbs.

Where can I see Compton's original work?

His paintings are in museums such as Manchester Art Gallery, the Sheffield Galleries, the Kunsthaus Zürich and the Messner Mountain Museum, and in alpine club collections.

How can you recognize an E.T. Compton painting?

Look for dramatic but precise views of high mountains, with sharply drawn ridges, glaciers and snowfields, clear light and often a sea of clouds below.

Related Artists

• Alexandre Calame — Swiss painter of dramatic alpine scenery
• Thomas Ender — Austrian painter of the Alps and their glaciers
• Eugen Bracht — landscape painter who also studied at the Darmstadt drawing school
• Ferdinand Hodler — Swiss painter of alpine peaks and lakes