Landscape with Two Ruined Castles

Prints and Drawings

1847

Victor Marie Hugo
French, 1802-1885

In addition to being a major presence in nineteenth-century French literature, Victor Hugo holds a unique position in the realm of the visual arts. His drawings established him as one of the most influential draftsmen of his time, a bridge between the romantics and the symbolists. It is the large-scale abstract works, such as this drawing, broadly handled, unclear, brooding, and mysterious, which are Hugo’s greatest legacy. This particular drawing was obviously highly prized by Hugo; only his major works received lengthy dedications, and this drawing is inscribed on both the mat and frame. The inscription reads in part: “Standing, facing each other, they resemble two black giants ready for battle.”

Status: Currently Off View
Department: Prints and Drawings

Artist: Victor Marie Hugo
Title: Landscape with Two Ruined Castles
Place: France (Artist's nationality:)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: 1847
Medium: Brush with brown ink and brown wash, over black crayon and graphite, with shellac, on ivory wove paper, laid down on tan wove paper
Dimensions: 26.8 × 46.5 cm (10 9/16 × 18 5/16 in.)
Credit Line: Gift of the Marjorie Blum-Kovler Collection and the Harry and Maribel G. Blum Foundation
Reference Number: 1989.168
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