International studio (22.1904)

DRAWING

which spring to life in his verses: dismantled
castles, moons which, rising, turn the trees into
phantom outline, vessels lashed by the storm,
motionless lakes, rivers winding through wide-
stretching plains, fairy palaces, fabulous flowers
and birds—all these things he has depicted
with astonishing sureness."
A study of Victor Hugo's drawings shows one
that they may be divided into two general cate-
gories : that they spring from two different sources.
In the one case the poet has been inspired by
Nature, not by any means, it is evident, in a
textual fashion, for his imagination travestied or
dramatised in accordance with his aspirations, but

at the same time with a
certain fidelity. As to the
other sort, they have
sprung solely from his brain
—these dazzling visions
of the East, these fantastic
imaginings of cities and
" burgs," these fanciful
BY VICTOR HUGO characters. All Victor
Hugo's drawings may be
placed in one or the
other of these categories. Let us, to start with,
examine the first variety.
As everyone knows, Victor Hugo travelled
much. His travel notes on the Rhine, on France
and Belgium and the Pyrenees, give us full infor-
mation on that point. While he was recording his
impressions, or summarising them in his letters, he
was taking sketches, for the benefit of himself and
his, of all the scenes which pleased him especially.
In this way he roamed the banks of the Rhine,
leaving us a monument of all the famous castles
and ancient cities, which shows how close was the
collaboration of poet and draughtsman.
On the 23rd of August, 1838, after having


"LA VILLE EN FENTE
4°

FROM THE DRAWING BY VICTOR HUGO