On a trip to Chamonix with Milena, GRATALOUP finds itself in the landscapes of snow-covered fir trees. They evoke for him those of his childhood, including La Route des Sapins du Haut-Bugey.

He will produce a series of large-format canvases on this theme, reflecting the beauty of the forests of this region. We find the use of gold, which accentuates the symbolic significance of these mountain landscapes.

The paintings in this series will be exhibited at the Galerie du Centre (Paris) in 1994. In 2006, during a foundation project for Grataloup in Nantua, they will be presented at "La Maroquinerie".

"Mon Beau Sapin… In Nantua, I started writing with the “S” of the "Sapin" (tree). The fir tree has always been there for me. It is decorated for the holidays. It is also burned at the solstice. Always visible, always around me."