Victor Hugo is world-famous for his literary achievements such as “Notre Dame de Paris” (known in English as “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame”) and “Les Misérables.” A new exhibition in London presents a very different side to the artist’s genius. Titled "Astonishing Things: The Drawings Of Victor Hugo," this exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts aims to shed light on Hugo's lesser-known work as an illustrator. The exhibit is now open to the public. It’s a feast for the eyes, both on the exhibition floor and via Hartley’s brilliant drawings.
Our ongoing exhibition aims to examine the hidden, yet profound connection between Hugo’s literary triumphs and his visual works. His drawings explode with vividness and emotional punch through his expert use of inkwash, graphite pencil and charcoal. In a way, they mirror the same artistry found in his famous written works. Hugo made many of these drawings while in exile. During all those years, from 1850 to 1870, he lived on the little island of Guernsey. Following Napoleon III’s coup d’état in December 1851, Hugo was forced into exile. He took advantage of this period to create major works and move into the world of illustration.
Hugo’s drawings just as surely express his deep and abiding belief that the personal is political. In drawings such as Ecce Lex (Behold the law), he uses the hanged man to challenge authority and reveal injustice. Another, equally enchanting work, Mushroom, consists of a huge anthropomorphic toadstool, showing Hugo’s interest in the magical and whimsical. Together, these artworks take us deep into Hugo’s imagination, in ways that richly extend the vivid narratives of his novels.
"Hugo's ink and wash visions of imaginary castles, monsters and seascapes are as poetic as his writing." – Royal Academy of Arts
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