Thank you for teaching me something new and wonderful today!! I had no idea that the author of such dense works as Les Mis created such fluid, emotive art. It’s a poignant demonstration of the inspirational and maddening nature of seclusion such as his exile.
Damn this guy really is good at everything! I love these sooo much, and I had no idea until this moment that he also made visual art! Thanks for sharing!
I totally agree! These are examples of when Hugo was experimenting with ‘taches’ (mistakes) and letting the ink control the painting, rather than trying to control the ink himself.
Love Hugo’s artwork, it is fascinating. Thanks for the write up. I’m very curious about Hugo’s artistic practices vs William Blake’s, esp as they are some of the only major writers I can think of that are also accomplished visual artists. I suppose Hugo never took it as seriously as Blake in a way since he wasn’t exactly illustrating his work or putting out prints. Curious about your thoughts on the matter
Thanks so much for your comment! I really appreciate it. In answer to your question: there are in fact many major writers who ‘do both’ — Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Ruskin, Tolkien… even Michelangelo!
But what differentiates Blake (18thc, English) from Hugo (19thc, French) is that Blake was vocationally trained as a printmaker. He worked as a commercial engraver, and never was recognised in his lifetime as a great artist and certainly not as a poet. Hugo, on the other hand, was a very successful writer of novels… political commentaries… his art was very much just a hobby.
Both, however, access the spiritual world in their visual work — so there is certainly overlap there.
Interesting! I’ve studied Blake’s poetry in uni courses on poetry, and Blake’s art in completely different uni courses on art history and history of graphic design. Of course I’ve also read Hugo, and in a recent painting course at the Glassell School of Art my instructor mentioned Hugo’s art to me.
So in my mind Blake in particular stands out as someone who didn’t just dabble in one form and master the other — he is worthy of study from both disciplines. Hugo, although not as serious about his art as his writing, also captured something with his art that clearly has drawn a lot of interest (considering the museum exhibitions etc!).
I’m not familiar with Rossetti’s writings, although I know he did write. Tolkien’s art is quite good but I thought he considered himself an amateur (I don’t know for sure, will have to look into it). I’m not familiar with the writings of Michelangelo at all.
Ruskin, of course, I know primarily through his writings and his place in the trial against Whistler. I have seen his art and it is nice!
I’m not sure anyone is quite like Blake when it comes to practicing the visual and literary at such a high level. Maybe I need to read more of Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s poetry 🤷♂️
Thank you so much for these glimpses into wonderful exhibitions I can't make it to myself (marooned in the American Midwest). I so look forward to your posts.
So glad you posted this because I had no idea Victor Hugo was so plumbing the depths of “darkness” in non-literary ways. Now I’m wishing that I were able to see this Royal Academy exhibition, if only to “hear” your narrative in my head as I view his art.
Remarkable! How lonely he must have been in exile? One can see it in the taches most clearly of all the drawings. It’s as if his loneliness and fear came leaking out of his leaky pen when he let go of it, while runaway thoughts interrupted his writing. So sad!
Thank you for teaching me something new and wonderful today!! I had no idea that the author of such dense works as Les Mis created such fluid, emotive art. It’s a poignant demonstration of the inspirational and maddening nature of seclusion such as his exile.
Really glad you enjoyed 😌
These are wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing them, Rebecca - they are very much to my taste!
Mine too!
Thank you, I did not know Hugo did drawings like this! They are exactly like the settings of his novels ( physical and psychological...)
Yes, now I am inspired to go read more Hugo!
Damn this guy really is good at everything! I love these sooo much, and I had no idea until this moment that he also made visual art! Thanks for sharing!
A real polymath! He turned his talents to interior design too.
I loved this one Rebecca! Learnt so much. (It's Rach)
Not THE Rach??? Welcome!! 🙏 🥰
ive decided to start writing you can follow me if you want!!! but i just follow you p much and write for myself rly heheh
of COURSE I will!!
Thank you for sharing this. I had no idea he was also a painter. Is it running for a while longer ? It looks great
Yes! Running until June 2025
Loved this one and learned so much! Thank you for sharing this :)
So glad you enjoyed it Mary!
There's a couple pieces that looks like a rorschach test.
I totally agree! These are examples of when Hugo was experimenting with ‘taches’ (mistakes) and letting the ink control the painting, rather than trying to control the ink himself.
Love Hugo’s artwork, it is fascinating. Thanks for the write up. I’m very curious about Hugo’s artistic practices vs William Blake’s, esp as they are some of the only major writers I can think of that are also accomplished visual artists. I suppose Hugo never took it as seriously as Blake in a way since he wasn’t exactly illustrating his work or putting out prints. Curious about your thoughts on the matter
Thanks so much for your comment! I really appreciate it. In answer to your question: there are in fact many major writers who ‘do both’ — Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Ruskin, Tolkien… even Michelangelo!
But what differentiates Blake (18thc, English) from Hugo (19thc, French) is that Blake was vocationally trained as a printmaker. He worked as a commercial engraver, and never was recognised in his lifetime as a great artist and certainly not as a poet. Hugo, on the other hand, was a very successful writer of novels… political commentaries… his art was very much just a hobby.
Both, however, access the spiritual world in their visual work — so there is certainly overlap there.
Interesting! I’ve studied Blake’s poetry in uni courses on poetry, and Blake’s art in completely different uni courses on art history and history of graphic design. Of course I’ve also read Hugo, and in a recent painting course at the Glassell School of Art my instructor mentioned Hugo’s art to me.
So in my mind Blake in particular stands out as someone who didn’t just dabble in one form and master the other — he is worthy of study from both disciplines. Hugo, although not as serious about his art as his writing, also captured something with his art that clearly has drawn a lot of interest (considering the museum exhibitions etc!).
I’m not familiar with Rossetti’s writings, although I know he did write. Tolkien’s art is quite good but I thought he considered himself an amateur (I don’t know for sure, will have to look into it). I’m not familiar with the writings of Michelangelo at all.
Ruskin, of course, I know primarily through his writings and his place in the trial against Whistler. I have seen his art and it is nice!
I’m not sure anyone is quite like Blake when it comes to practicing the visual and literary at such a high level. Maybe I need to read more of Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s poetry 🤷♂️
Thank you so much for these glimpses into wonderful exhibitions I can't make it to myself (marooned in the American Midwest). I so look forward to your posts.
This was new to me and I find the artwork really high level! Thanks for bringing this forward.
So glad you posted this because I had no idea Victor Hugo was so plumbing the depths of “darkness” in non-literary ways. Now I’m wishing that I were able to see this Royal Academy exhibition, if only to “hear” your narrative in my head as I view his art.
Remarkable! How lonely he must have been in exile? One can see it in the taches most clearly of all the drawings. It’s as if his loneliness and fear came leaking out of his leaky pen when he let go of it, while runaway thoughts interrupted his writing. So sad!
🇨🇦❤️🩹