Portrait of Victor Hugo on Guernsey

Discussion

FROM THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART’S CATALOG

Victor Hugo, a passionate human rights advocate, was a fierce critic of Napoleon III and the Second Empire and had to live in exile from 1851 to 1870. His novel Les Misérables (inspiration for the 1985 musical) focused on the need for social and political change. Edmond Bacot, a fan and family friend of the author, photographed him twice, the first time in 1852 and, at Hugo’s invitation, in 1862 on the island of Guernsey, the year that Les Misérables was published.

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