ticketsMember | Make a donation

Victor Hugo (three-quarter view)

Sitter Portrait of Victor Hugo French
1885
Not on view
The author of Notre-Dame de Paris(1831) and Les Misérables (1862) was an old man when Rodin proposed to make his portrait. Hugo's patience with sittings had been strained to the breaking point by another sculptor whose efforts are reported to have produced a mediocre bust. Moreover, Hugo's devoted mistress Juliette Drouet was dying of cancer. Details of the story vary, but the earliest published accounts agree that Rodin was permitted to be present in the Hugo household and to make sketches, but that the poet would not actually pose. Rodin made dozens of drawings from every possible viewpoint, some rapidly sketched on the spot and others from memory, before being allowed to set up a modeling stand in an out-of-the-way corner to work in clay. From these preliminaries Rodin created the bust of Hugo that he first exhibited at the Salon of the Société des Artistes Français in 1884. A series of splendidly executed prints followed. The fifth state of this Three-Quarter View was published in the journal L'Artiste in February 1885.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Victor Hugo (three-quarter view)
  • Artist: Auguste Rodin (French, Paris 1840–1917 Meudon)
  • Sitter: Portrait of Victor Hugo (French, Besançon 1802–1885 Paris)
  • Date: 1885
  • Medium: Drypoint on laid paper; second state of eight
  • Dimensions: Image: 7 5/8 x 5 7/16 in. (19.4 x 13.8 cm)
    Plate: 8 7/8 x 6 15/16 in. (22.5 x 17.6 cm)
    Sheet: 11 1/4 x 8 1/2 in. (28.5 x 21.6 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1916
  • Object Number: 16.37.2
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Young woman, Auguste Rodin French, Cast plaster, French
Young woman
Auguste Rodin
modeled probably before 1889, cast before 1912
Study of a hand, Auguste Rodin French, Cast plaster, French
Study of a hand
Auguste Rodin
last quarter 19th–early 20th century
Study of a hand, Auguste Rodin French, Cast plaster, French
Study of a hand
Auguste Rodin
20th century
Bust of Bellona, Auguste Rodin French, Drypoint, third state of three, before bevelled plate
Bust of Bellona
Auguste Rodin
1882–85
Bust of Bellona, Auguste Rodin French, Drypoint, third state of 3
Bust of Bellona
Auguste Rodin
1882–85

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.