Tintenauge und Schattenmund

The more than three thousand drawings by the great French author Victor Hugo (1802–1885), work that he himself described as a “nice sideline,” are largely unknown. Hugo was an extraordinarily talented amateur who used pen and ink, brush, and an astonishing range of materials for depicting his visions. After an introduction to the aesthetics and craftsmanship of drawing, this extensive volume presents Hugo’s interior designs for his home on Guernsey, his drawings of imaginary buildings and landscapes, as well as obscure renderings reminiscent of abstract structures. A final chapter deals with how his visual art was received by classic modernity. The book’s commentary, enhanced by numerous, for the most part only recently translated quotations, ties in with the most recent research on Victor Hugo and characterizes the artist as the vivid personality he was.