Astonishing Things: The Drawings of Victor Hugo at the Royal Academy

19^th March 2025

Constance A

Constance A

19 March 2025

Mention the name “Victor Hugo” and most people immediately think of his masterpiece Les Misérables, famously adapted into the iconic musical that has captivated West End audiences since the 1980s, or perhaps The Hunchback of Notre Dame, widely reimagined through Disney films, plays, musicals and beyond. Hugo’s epic narratives, filled with characters fighting passionately for their rights, freedom, loved ones and friends against oppressive and unjust regimes, have come to embody the core ideals of the French Republic: liberty, equality and fraternity.

Yet, Hugo’s legacy extends far beyond his celebrated novels. In France, he is equally cherished as a poet. “Demain dès l’aube” is often the first poem schoolchildren learn and recite before their classmates. Now, a captivating new exhibition at the Royal Academy reveals yet another dimension to Hugo’s genius: his extraordinary talent as a draftsman. His drawings, described by none other than Vincent Van Gogh as “astonishing”, evolved from modest caricatures into sublime landscapes and seascapes, eventually verging on abstract, almost surreal visions far ahead of their time. Unseen in the UK for 50 years, these exceptional works are back, offering a rare glimpse into the world of a multifaceted man.

Featuring around 70 of the more than 4,000 drawings Hugo produced, the exhibition presents these rare and fragile works under carefully controlled lighting. You encounter Hugo’s interior world: ink and wash scenes of ruined castles emerging faintly within dark, mysterious landscapes; enigmatic mushrooms painted in rich reds, blues and browns; or an octopus depicted as monstrous sea creatures in deep, purplish hues. The exhibition also explores Hugo’s artistic process, highlighting his versatility with materials ranging from fine pencils to wet inks. His remarkable technical skill shines through, especially in his meticulously accurate, almost scientifically observed architectural drawings, which grapple with complexities like linear perspective. At times, however, Hugo abandons precision, deliberately employing experimental techniques – blots, rubbings, washes and automatic writing. Oscillating between the figurative and the abstract, these are the works of a man who was captivated by historical retellings as much as fiction and romantic poetry – a man who lived somewhere between reality and imagination.

Perhaps the most impactful aspect of the exhibition is its exploration of Hugo’s political activism, an often overlooked dimension of his life. Visitors learn of his vehement opposition to the death penalty, exemplified by his response to the execution of convicted murderer John Tapner in Guernsey through poignant drawings such as “Ecce Lex” (meaning ‘behold the law’). Later, Hugo passionately – but unsuccessfully – appealed to the United States for clemency for abolitionist John Brown, sentenced to death in Virginia for treason and inciting slave rebellion. His earlier Ecce Lex images were reproduced by his brother-in-law Paul Chenay, retitled “John Brown”, and circulated as a visual protest against Brown’s execution.

One cannot help but marvel at the brilliance of a man whose convictions shone through every artistic medium he explored, and who remained, above all, a keen observer of life: birds, insects, flowers, faces, the gentle curl of water around a ship. This was a man who loved life deeply, and loved people. “It is through fraternity that liberty is saved,” he once said – a sentiment that feels more relevant today than ever. Go see this exhibition and immerse yourself in the inner world of a true artist.

Constance Ayrton
Image: Victor Hugo, Mushroom, 1850, Pen, brown ink, charcoal, crayon, green, red and white gouache on paper. 47.4×60.8cm. Maisons de Victor Hugo, Paris / Guernsey. Photo: CCO Paris Musées / Maisons de Victor Hugo

Astonishing Things: The Drawings of Victor Hugo is at the Royal Academy from 21^st March until 29^th June 2025. For further information or to book visit the exhibition’s website here.