DOI Heft:
No. 131 (February, 1904)
DOI Artikel:Frantz, Henri: Victor Hugo's drawings
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19881#0056
Victor Hugos Drawings
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
drawing by victor Hnr,o characters. All Victor
Hugo's drawings may be
placed in one or the
which spring to life in his verses : dismantled other ot these categories. Let us, to start with,
castles, moons which, rising, turn the trees into examine the first variety.
phantom outline, vessels lashed by the storm, As everyone knows, Victor Hugo travelled
motionless lakes, rivers winding through wide- much. His travel notes on the Rhine, on France
stretching plains, fairy palaces, fabulous flowers and Belgium and the Pyrenees, give us full infor-
and birds—all these things he has depicted mation on that point. While he was recording his
with astonishing sureness." impressions, or summarising them in his letters, he
A study of Victor Hugo's drawings shows one was taking sketches, for the benefit of himself and
that they may be divided into two general cate- his, of all the scenes which pleased him especially,
gories : that they spring from two different sources. In this way he roamed the banks of the Rhine,
In the one case the poet has been inspired by leaving us a monument of all the famous castles
Nature, not by any means, it is evident, in a and ancient cities, which shows how close was the
textual fashion, for his imagination travestied or collaboration of poet and draughtsman,
dramatised in accordance with his aspirations, but On the 23rd of August, 1838, after having
"la ville en pente"
40
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
drawing by victor Hnr,o characters. All Victor
Hugo's drawings may be
placed in one or the
which spring to life in his verses : dismantled other ot these categories. Let us, to start with,
castles, moons which, rising, turn the trees into examine the first variety.
phantom outline, vessels lashed by the storm, As everyone knows, Victor Hugo travelled
motionless lakes, rivers winding through wide- much. His travel notes on the Rhine, on France
stretching plains, fairy palaces, fabulous flowers and Belgium and the Pyrenees, give us full infor-
and birds—all these things he has depicted mation on that point. While he was recording his
with astonishing sureness." impressions, or summarising them in his letters, he
A study of Victor Hugo's drawings shows one was taking sketches, for the benefit of himself and
that they may be divided into two general cate- his, of all the scenes which pleased him especially,
gories : that they spring from two different sources. In this way he roamed the banks of the Rhine,
In the one case the poet has been inspired by leaving us a monument of all the famous castles
Nature, not by any means, it is evident, in a and ancient cities, which shows how close was the
textual fashion, for his imagination travestied or collaboration of poet and draughtsman,
dramatised in accordance with his aspirations, but On the 23rd of August, 1838, after having
"la ville en pente"
40