Information AboutVictor Hugo |
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Victor-Marie Hugo ('' and '' La Légende Des Siècles '' stand particularly high in critical esteem. Though extremely conservative in his youth, he moved to the political left as the decades passed; he became a passionate supporter of Republicanism and of a European Union . His work touches upon most of the political and social issues and artistic trends of his time. Theatrical work Hugo did not achieve such quick success with his works for the stage. In 1827, he published the never-staged verse drama '' Cromwell '', which became more famous for the author's preface than its own worth (the play's unwieldy length was considered "unfit for acting"). In his introduction to the work, Hugo urged his fellow artists to free themselves from the restrictions imposed by the French Classical Style of theatre, and thus sparked a fierce debate between French Classicism and Romanticism that would rage for many years. ''Cromwell'' was followed in 1828 by the disastrous '' Amy Robsart '', an experimental play from his youth based on the Walter Scott novel ''Kenilworth'' , which was produced under the name of his brother-in-law Paul Foucher and managed to survive only one performance before a less-than-appreciative audience. The first play of Hugo's to be accepted for production under his own name was '' in politics would free the country from the tyranny of monarchy and dictatorship, Romanticism would liberate the arts from the constraints of Classicism . , Hugo's mistress]] In 1832 Hugo followed the success of ''Hernani'' with ''), in only fourteen days. It subsequently appeared on the stage in 1833, to great success. Mademoiselle George (former mistress of Napoleon ) was cast in the main role, and an actress named Juliette Drouet played a subordinate part. However, Drouet would go on to play a major role in Hugo’s personal life, becoming his life-long mistress and muse. While Hugo had many romantic escapades throughout his life, Drouet was recognized even by his wife to have a unique relationship with the writer, and was treated almost as family. In Hugo’s next play ('' Marie Tudor '', 1833), Drouet played Lady Jane Grey to George’s Queen Mary . However, she was not considered adequate to the role, and was replaced by another actress after opening night. It would be her last role on the French stage; thereafter she devoted her life to Hugo. Supported by a small pension, she became his unpaid secretary and travelling companion for the next fifty years. Hugo’s '' Angelo (play) '' premiered in 1835, to great success. Soon after, the Duke of Orleans (brother of King Louis-Philippe , and an admirer of Hugo’s work) founded a new theatre to support new plays. Théâtre de la Renaissance opened in November 1838, with the premiere of '' Ruy Blas ''. Though considered by many to be Hugo’s best drama, at the time it met with only average success. Hugo did not produce another play until 1843. '' The Burgraves '' played for only 33 nights, losing audiences to a competing drama, and it would be his last work written for the theatre. Though he would later write the short verse drama '' Torquemada '' in 1869, it was not published until a few years before his death in 1882, and was never intended for the stage. However, Hugo's interest in the theatre continued, and in 1864, he published a well-received essay on William Shakespeare , whose style he tried to emulate in his own dramas. Mature fiction '' by Alfred Barbou (1831)]] Victor Hugo's first mature work of fiction appeared in 1829, and reflected the acute social conscience that would infuse his later work. '' Le Dernier Jour D'un Condamné '' ('' Last Days Of A Condemned Man '') would have a profound influence on later writers such as Albert Camus , Charles Dickens , and Fyodor Dostoevsky . '' Claude Gueux '', a documentary short story about a real-life murderer who had been executed in France, appeared in 1834, and was later considered by Hugo himself to be a precursor to his great work on social injustice, '' Les Misérables ''. But Hugo’s first full-length novel would be the enormously successful '' Notre-Dame De Paris '' ('' The Hunchback Of Notre Dame ''), which was published in 1831 and quickly translated into other languages across Europe. One of the effects of the novel was to shame the City of Paris to undertake a restoration of the much-neglected Cathedral Of Notre Dame , which was now attracting thousands of tourists who had read the popular novel. The book also inspired a renewed appreciation for pre-renaissance buildings, which thereafter began to be actively preserved. '' (1862)]] Hugo began planning a major novel about social misery and injustice as early as the 1830s, but it would take a full 17 years for his most enduringly popular work, ''Les Misérables'', to be realized and finally published in 1862. The author was acutely aware of the quality of the novel and publication of the work went to the highest bidder. The Belgian publishing house Lacroix and Verboeckhoven undertook a marketing campaign unusual for the time, issuing press releases about the work a full six months before the launch. It also initially published only the first part of the novel (“Fantine”), which was launched simultaneously in major cities. Installments of the book sold out within hours, and had enormous impact on French society. Response ranged from wild enthusiasm to intense condemnation, but the issues highlighted in ''Les Misérables'' were soon on the agenda of the French National Assembly . Today the novel is considered a literary masterpiece, adapted for cinema, television and musical stage to an extent equaled by few other works of literature. Hugo turned away from social/political issues in his next novel, ''. From squid dishes and exhibitions, to squid hats and parties, Parisiennes became fascinated by these unusual sea creatures, which at the time were still considered by many to be mythical. The Guernsey word used in the book has also been used to refer to the octopus. Hugo returned to political and social issues in his next novel, '' that followed the French Revolution . Though Hugo’s popularity was on the decline at the time of its publication, many now consider '' Ninety-Three '' to be a powerful work on par with Hugo’s more well known novels. , at the peak of Hugo's political career: ''"Hugo is the darkest of all the great serious men."'' (1849)]] Political life and exile After three unsuccessful attempts, Hugo was finally elected to the Académie Francaise in 1841, solidifying his position in the world of French arts and letters. Thereafter he became increasingly involved in French politics as a supporter of the Republic form of government. He was elevated to the peerage by King Louis-Philippe in 1841 and entered the Higher Chamber as a Pair de France, where he spoke against the Death Penalty and social injustice, and in favour of Freedom Of The Press and Self-government for Poland . He was later elected to the Legislative Assembly and the Constitutional Assembly, following the 1848 Revolution and the formation of the Second Republic . When Louis Napoleon ( Napoleon III ) seized complete power in 1851, establishing an anti- Parliamentary Constitution , Hugo openly declared him a traitor of France. Fearing for his life, he fled to Brussels , then Jersey , and finally settled with his family on the Channel Island of Guernsey , where he would live in exile until 1870. While in exile, Hugo published his famous political pamphlets against Napoleon III , '' Napoléon Le Petit '' and '' Histoire D'un Crime ''. The pamphlets were banned in France, but nonetheless had a strong impact there. He also composed some of his best work during his period in Guernsey , including '' Les Misérables '', and three widely praised collections of poetry ('' Les Châtiments '', 1853; '' Les Contemplations '', 1856; and '' La Légende Des Siècles '', 1859). Although Napoleon III granted an amnesty to all political exiles in 1859, Hugo declined, as it meant he would have to curtail his criticisms of the government. It was only after the unpopular Napoleon III fell from power and the Third Republic was proclaimed that Hugo finally returned to his homeland in 1870, where he was promptly elected to the National Assembly and the Senate. Religious views Hugo's religious views changed radically over the course of his life. In his youth, he identified as a Catholic and professed respect for Church hierarchy and authority. From there he evolved into a non-practicing Catholic, and expressed increasingly violent Anti-pope and Anti-clerical views. He dabbled in Spiritualism during his exile, and in later years settled into a Rationalist Deism similar to that espoused by Voltaire . When a census-taker asked Hugo in 1872 if he was a Catholic, he replied, "No. A Freethinker ". Hugo never lost his antipathy towards the Catholic Church , due largely to the Church's indifference to the plight of the working class under the oppression of the monarchy; and perhaps also due to the frequency with which Hugo's work appeared on the Pope's list of " Proscribed Books " (Hugo counted 740 attacks on the ''Les Misérables'' in the Catholic press). On the deaths of his sons Charles and François-Victor, he insisted that they be buried without crucifix or priest, and in his will made the same stipulation about his own death and funeral. However, although Hugo believed Catholic Dogma to be outdated and dying, he never directly attacked the institution itself. He also remained a deeply religious man who strongly believed in the power and necessity of Prayer . Hugo's Rationalism can be found in poems such as ''Torquemada'' (1869, about religious fanaticism), ''The Pope'' (1878, violently Anti-clerical ), ''Religions and Religion'' (1880, denying the usefulness of churches) and, published posthumously, ''The End of Satan'' and ''God'' (1886 and 1891 respectively, in which he represents Christianity as a griffin and Rationalism as an angel). "Religions pass away, but God remains", Hugo declared. Christianity would eventually disappear, he predicted, but people would still believe in "God, Soul, and Responsibility". Declining years and death ]] When Hugo returned to Paris in 1870, the country hailed him as a national hero. He went on to weather, within a brief period, the Siege Of Paris , a mild Stroke , his daughter Adèle’s commitment to an insane asylum, and the death of his two sons. (His other daughter, Léopoldine, had drowned in a boating accident in 1843; his wife Adele died in 1868; and his faithful mistress, Juliette Drouet, died in 1883, only two years before his own death.) Despite his personal loss, Hugo remained committed to political change. Victor Hugo's death on May 22, 1885, at the age of 83, generated intense national mourning. He was not only revered as a towering figure in French literature, but also internationally acknowledged as a statesman who helped to preserve and shape the Third Republic and Democracy in France. More than two million people joined his funeral procession in Paris from the Arc De Triomphe to the Panthéon , where he was buried. Drawings Many are not aware that Hugo was almost as prolific in the visual arts as he was in literature, producing more than 4,000 drawings in his lifetime. (Some reproductions can be viewed on the internet at ArtNet and on the website of artist Misha Bittleston ). Originally pursued as a casual hobby, drawing became more important to Hugo shortly before his exile, when he made the decision to stop writing in order to devote himself to politics. Drawing became his exclusive creative outlet during the period 1848-1851. Hugo worked only on paper, and on a small scale; usually in dark brown or black Pen-and-ink wash, sometimes with touches of white, and rarely with color. The surviving drawings are surprisingly accomplished and "modern" in their style and execution, foreshadowing the experimental techniques of Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism . He would not hesitate to use his children's stencils, ink blots, puddles and stains, lace impressions, "pliage" or folding (i.e. Rorschach blots), "grattage" or rubbing, often using the charcoal from match sticks or his fingers instead of pen or brush. Sometimes he would even toss in coffee or soot to get the effects he wanted. It is reported that Hugo often drew with his left hand or without looking at the page, or during Spiritualist Séance s, in order to access his Unconscious Mind , a concept only later popularized by Sigmund Freud . Hugo kept his artwork out of the public eye, fearing it would overshadow his literary work. However, he enjoyed sharing his drawings with his family and friends, often in the form of ornately handmade calling cards, many of which were given as gifts to visitors when he was in political exile. Some of his work was shown to, and appreciated by, contemporary artists such as Van Gogh and Delacroix ; the latter expressed the opinion that if Hugo had decided to become a painter instead of a writer, he would have outshone the artists of their century. Memorials The people of Guernsey erected a statue in Candie Gardens to commemorate his stay in the islands. The City Of Paris have preserved his residences Hauteville House, Guernsey and 6, Place Des Vosges , Paris as museums. Works Published during Hugo's lifetime
Published posthumously
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