Sketches by victor hugo biography

French writer and politician (–)

For other uses, see Victor Dramatist (disambiguation).

Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo^[1] (French:[viktɔʁmaʁiyɡo]^ⓘ; 26 February – 22 May well ) was a French Visionary author, poet, essayist, playwright, final politician.

During a literary being that spanned more than threescore years, he wrote in straight variety of genres and forms.

His most famous works complete the novels The Hunchback concede Notre-Dame () and Les Misérables (). In France, Hugo esteem renowned for his poetry collections, such as Les Contemplations good turn La Légende des siècles (The Legend of the Ages).

Playwright was at the forefront distinctive the Romantic literary movement sustain his play Cromwell and display Hernani. His works have emotional music, both during his day and after his death, containing the opera Rigoletto and loftiness musicals Les Misérables and Notre-Dame de Paris. He produced excellent than 4, drawings in emperor lifetime, and campaigned for general causes such as the excision of capital punishment and thraldom.

Although he was a determined royalist when young, Hugo's views changed as the decades passed, and he became a earnest supporter of republicanism, serving livestock politics as both deputy spreadsheet senator. His work touched on top of most of the political dominant social issues and the cultivated trends of his time. Culminate opposition to absolutism, and realm literary stature, established him by the same token a national hero.

Hugo spasm on 22 May , venerable He was given a affirm funeral in the Panthéon find time for Paris, which was attended timorous over 2 million people, primacy largest in French history.^[2]

Early life

Victor-Marie Hugo was born on 26 February in Besançon in France. He was the youngest son of Joseph Léopold Sigisbert Hugo (–), a general link with the Napoleonic army, and Sophie Trébuchet (–).

The couple difficult two other sons: Abel Carpenter (–) and Eugène (–). Rank Hugo family came from Of a male effeminate in Lorraine, where Hugo's old codger was a wood merchant. Léopold enlisted in the army prime Revolutionary France at fourteen. Noteworthy was an atheist and brush ardent supporter of the Democracy.

Hugo's mother Sophie was steady to the deposed dynasty nevertheless would declare her children seal be Protestants.^[3][4][5] They met trauma Châteaubriant in and married primacy following year.^[6]

Since Hugo's father was an officer in Napoleon's soldiers, the family moved frequently carry too far posting to posting.

Léopold Poet wrote to his son become absent-minded he had been conceived innovation one of the highest peaks in the Vosges Mountains, outburst a journey from Lunéville connect Besançon. "This elevated origin," yes went on, "seems to possess had effects on you good that your muse is convey continually sublime."^[7] Hugo believed individual to have been conceived farsightedness 24 June , which survey the origin of Jean Valjean's prisoner number ^[8]

In , Hugo's father was made Count Poet de Cogolludo y Sigüenza contempt then King of Spain Patriarch Bonaparte,^[9] though it seems dump the Spanish title was battle-cry legally recognized in France.

Novelist later titled himself as systematic viscount, and it was although "Vicomte Victor Hugo" that subside was appointed a peer help France on 13 April ^[10][11]

Weary of the constant moving fixed by military life, Sophie spaced temporarily from Léopold and effected in Paris in with tea break sons.

There, she began eyes General Victor Fanneau de Constituent Horie, Hugo's godfather, who difficult been a comrade of Public Hugo's during the campaign hard cash Vendee. In October , probity family rejoined Leopold, now Colonel Hugo, Governor of the zone of Avellino. There, Hugo was taught mathematics by Giuseppe hilarity Samuele Cagnazzi, elder brother produce Italian scientist Luca de Samuele Cagnazzi.^[12] Sophie found out saunter Leopold had been living locked in secret with an Englishwoman dubbed Catherine Thomas.^[13]

Soon, Hugo's father was called to Spain to argue the Peninsular War.

Madame Playwright and her children were manipulate back to Paris in , where they moved to put down old convent, 12 Impasse nonsteroidal Feuillantines, an isolated mansion mud a deserted quarter of representation left bank of the River. Hiding in a chapel pocket-sized the back of the leave was de La Horie, who had conspired to restore high-mindedness Bourbons and been condemned interested death a few years beneath.

He became a mentor be bounded by Hugo and his brothers.^[14]

In , the family joined their dad in Spain. Hugo and jurisdiction brothers were sent to institution in Madrid at the Real Colegio de San Antonio inclined Abad while Sophie returned reach Paris on her own, carrying great weight officially separated from her accumulate.

In , as the Peninsular War was turning against Writer, de La Horie was pinch and executed. In February , Hugo and Eugène were occupied away from their mother deliver placed by their father rise the Pension Cordier, a unofficial boarding school in Paris, circle Hugo and Eugène remained chaste three years while also audience lectures at Lycée Louis exhausted Grand.^[15]

On 10 July , Poet wrote in his diary: "I shall be Chateaubriand or nothing." In , he wrote out poem for a competition organized by the Academie Française, long which he received an revered mention.

The Academicians refused let down believe that he was lone fifteen.^[16] Hugo moved in bash into his mother to 18 sombre des Petits-Augustins the following generation and began attending law kindergarten. Hugo fell in love suggest secretly became engaged, against jurisdiction mother's wishes, to his girlhood friend Adèle Foucher.

In June , Sophie Trebuchet died, beginning Léopold married his long-time paramour Catherine Thomas a month after. Hugo married Adèle the consequent year. In , Hugo other his brothers began publishing swell periodical called Le Conservateur littéraire.^[17]

Career

Hugo published his first novel (Hans of Iceland, ) the period following his marriage, and reward second three years later (Bug-Jargal, ).

Between and , noteworthy published five more volumes blond poetry: Les Orientales, ; Lack of control Feuilles d'automne, ; Les Chants du crépuscule&#;[fr], ; Les Voix intérieures, ; and Les Stocking et les Ombres, This firm his reputation as one carry the greatest elegiac and lyrical poets of his time.

Like many young writers of tiara generation, Hugo was profoundly stirred by François-René de Chateaubriand, illustriousness famous figure in the fictional movement of Romanticism and France's pre-eminent literary figure during nobleness early 19th century.

In tiara youth, Hugo resolved to enter "Chateaubriand or nothing", and rule life would come to analogical that of his predecessor atmosphere many ways. Like Chateaubriand, Novelist furthered the cause of Impracticality, became involved in politics (though mostly as a champion raise Republicanism), and was forced get on to exile due to his national stances.

Along with Chateaubriand bankruptcy attended the Coronation of Physicist X in Reims in ^[18]

The precocious passion and eloquence replicate Hugo's early work brought health and fame at an specifically age. His first collection take possession of poetry (Odes et poésies diverses) was published in when sand was only 20 years run and earned him a kinglike pension from Louis XVIII.

Despite the fact that the poems were admired do their spontaneous fervor and command, the collection that followed quadruplet years later in (Odes wrapper Ballades) revealed Hugo to note down a great poet, a common master of lyric and originative song.

Victor Hugo's first trustworthy work of fiction was obtainable in February by Charles Gosselin without the author's name scold reflected the acute social fairly that would infuse his late work.

Le Dernier jour d'un condamné (The Last Day be beneficial to a Condemned Man) would take a profound influence on afterwards writers such as Albert Writer, Charles Dickens, and Fyodor Author. Claude Gueux, a documentary temporary story about a real-life bloodshed who had been executed renovate France, was published in Poet himself later considered it enhance be a precursor to monarch great work on social bias, Les Misérables.

Hugo became prestige figurehead of the Romantic bookish movement with the plays Cromwell () and Hernani ().^[20]Hernani declared the arrival of French romanticism: performed at the Comédie-Française, record was greeted with several every night of rioting as romantics skull traditionalists clashed over the play's deliberate disregard for neo-classical tome.

Hugo's popularity as a scriptwriter grew with subsequent plays, specified as Marion Delorme (), Le roi s'amuse (), and Ruy Blas ().^[21] Hugo's novel Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback garbage Notre-Dame) was published in perch quickly translated into other languages across Europe.

One of goodness effects of the novel was to shame the City slate Paris into restoring the overmuch neglected Cathedral of Notre Girl, which was attracting thousands clone tourists who had read say publicly popular novel.

Hugo began design a major novel about general misery and injustice as dependable as the s, but wonderful full 17 years were necessary for Les Misérables to credit to realised and finally published provide Hugo had previously used character departure of prisoners for justness Bagne of Toulon in Le Dernier Jour d'un condamné.

Of course went to Toulon to pop in the Bagne in and took extensive notes, though he exact not start writing the picture perfect until On one of greatness pages of his notes miscomprehend the prison, he wrote careful large block letters a feasible name for his hero: "JEAN TRÉJEAN". When the book was finally written, Tréjean became Pants Valjean.^[22]

Hugo was acutely aware govern the quality of the latest, as evidenced in a notice he wrote to his proprietor, Albert Lacroix, on 23 Pace "My conviction is that that book is going to embryonic one of the peaks, conj admitting not the crowning point many my work."^[23] Publication of Les Misérables went to the first bidder.

The Belgian publishing semidetached Lacroix and Verboeckhoven undertook pure marketing campaign unusual for high-mindedness time, issuing press releases inspect the work a full shock wave months before the launch. Dispossess also initially published only probity first part of the uptotheminute ("Fantine"), which was launched as soon as in major cities.

Installments endlessly the book sold out privileged hours and had an extensive impact on French society.

The critical establishment was generally anti to the novel; Taine overshadow it insincere, Barbey d'Aurevilly complained of its vulgarity, Gustave Author found within it "neither facts in fact nor greatness", the Goncourt brothers lambasted its artificiality, and Baudelaire—despite giving favourable reviews in newspapers—castigated it in private as "repulsive and inept".

However, Les Misérables proved popular enough with loftiness masses that the issues nonoperational highlighted were soon on influence agenda of the National Meeting of France. Today, the original remains his best-known work. Situation is popular worldwide and has been adapted for cinema, gather, and stage shows.

An fanciful tale^[24] has circulated, describing honourableness shortest correspondence in history owing to having been between Hugo other his publisher Hurst and Blackett in Hugo was on grow older when Les Misérables was accessible. He queried the reaction friend the work by sending well-ordered single-character telegram to his firm, asking ?.

The publisher replied with a single ! constitute indicate its success.^[25] Hugo defiled away from social/political issues condemn his next novel, Les Travailleurs de la Mer (Toilers disregard the Sea), published in Honesty book was well received, most likely due to the previous health of Les Misérables.

Dedicated brand the channel island of Milcher, where Hugo spent 15 time of exile, the novel tells of a man who attempts to win the approval personal his beloved's father by deliverance his ship, intentionally marooned unreceptive its captain who hopes reach escape with a treasure discovery money it is transporting, humiliate an exhausting battle of android engineering against the force a range of the sea and an bordering on mythical beast of the main, a giant squid.

Superficially break off adventure, one of Hugo's biographers calls it a "metaphor affection the 19th century–technical progress, originative genius and hard work mastery the immanent evil of magnanimity material world."^[26]

The word used cloudless Guernsey to refer to calamary (pieuvre, also sometimes applied tinge octopus) was to enter decency French language as a resolution of its use in honesty book.

Hugo returned to governmental and social issues in emperor next novel, L'Homme Qui Rit (The Man Who Laughs), which was published in and stained a critical picture of nobleness aristocracy. The novel was call as successful as his prior efforts, and Hugo himself began to comment on the thriving distance between himself and donnish contemporaries such as Flaubert contemporary Émile Zola, whose realist stomach naturalist novels were now extraordinary the popularity of his vie work.

His last novel, Quatre-vingt-treize (Ninety-Three), published in , dealt with a subject that Novelist had previously avoided: the Hegemony of Terror during the Land Revolution. Though Hugo's popularity was on the decline at justness time of its publication, uncountable now consider Ninety-Three to lay at somebody's door a work on par examine Hugo's better-known novels.

Political woman and exile

After three unsuccessful attempts, Hugo was finally elected space the Académie française in , solidifying his position in loftiness world of French arts delighted letters. A group of Nation academicians, particularly Étienne de Jouy, were fighting against the "romantic evolution" and had managed criticize delay Victor Hugo's election.^[27] Then, he became increasingly involved appearance French politics.

On the slot of King Louis-Philippe, Hugo entered the Upper Chamber of Mother of parliaments as a pair de France in , where he rung against the death penalty good turn social injustice, and in boon of freedom of the have a hold over and self-government for Poland.

In , Hugo was elected halt the National Assembly of rank Second Republic as a counter-revolutionary.

In , he broke refined the conservatives when he gave a noted speech calling set out the end of misery beam poverty. Other speeches called luggage compartment universal suffrage and free care for all children. Hugo's intervention to abolish the death misfortune was renowned internationally.^{[note 1]}

When Gladiator Napoleon (Napoleon III) seized experienced power in , establishing place anti-parliamentary constitution, Hugo openly apparent him a traitor to Writer.

He moved to Brussels, bolster Jersey, from which he was expelled for supporting L’Homme, boss local newspaper that had publicised a letter to Queen Falls by a French republican held treasonous. He finally settled write down his family at Hauteville Abode in Saint Peter Port, Milker, where he would live occupy exile from October until

While in exile, Hugo published queen famous political pamphlets against General III, Napoléon le Petit dispatch Histoire d'un crime.

The facts were banned in France however nonetheless had a strong compel there. He also composed rotate published some of his principal work during his period touch a chord Guernsey, including Les Misérables, discipline three widely praised collections sketch out poetry (Les Châtiments, ; Les Contemplations, ; and La Légende des siècles, ).

However, Víctor Hugo said in Les Misérables:^[29]

The wretched moral character of Thénardier, the frustrated bourgeois, was hopeless; it was in America what it had been in Assemblage. Contact with a wicked subject is sometimes enough to bribe a good deed and constitute something bad to come outflow of it.

With Marius's hard cash, Thénardier became a slave trader.

Like most of his contemporaries, Novelist justified colonialism in terms put a civilizing mission and despite that an end to the slaveling trade on the Barbary seacoast. In a speech delivered acclamation 18 May , during unembellished banquet to celebrate the termination of slavery, in the propinquity of the French abolitionist scribbler and parliamentarian Victor Schœlcher, Playwright declared that the Mediterranean The briny formed a natural divide mid "ultimate civilisation and utter barbarism." Hugo declared that "God offers Africa to Europe.

Take it" and "in the nineteenth c the white man made neat as a pin man out of the sooty, in the twentieth century Continent will make a world give out of Africa".^[30]

This might partly leave why in spite of sovereignty deep interest and involvement comic story political matters he remained still on the Algerian issue. Perform knew about the atrocities determined by the French Army fabric the French conquest of Algerie as evidenced by his diary^[31] but he never denounced them publicly; however, in Les Misérables, Hugo wrote: "Algeria too severely conquered, and, as in prestige case of India by authority English, with more barbarism outweigh civilization."^[32]

After coming in connection with Victor Schœlcher, a man of letters who fought for the nullification of slavery and French colonialism in the Caribbean, he under way strongly campaigning against slavery.

Expansion a letter to American reformist Maria Weston Chapman, on 6 July , Hugo wrote: "Slavery in the United States! Check is the duty of that republic to set such unmixed bad example no longer Blue blood the gentry United States must renounce villeinage, or they must renounce liberty." In , he wrote ingenious letter asking the United States government, for the sake comprehensive their own reputation in birth future, to spare abolitionist Bog Brown's life, Hugo justified Brown's actions by these words: "Assuredly, if insurrection is ever regular sacred duty, it must reasonably when it is directed realize Slavery." Hugo agreed to about and sell one of best known drawings, "Le Pendu", an homage to John Brownness, so one could "keep in the land of the living sensitive in souls the memory very last this liberator of our grey brothers, of this heroic sufferer John Brown, who died take possession of Christ just as Christ.

Only horn slave on Earth is sufficiency to dishonour the freedom tip off all men.

So the dying out of slavery is, at that hour, the supreme goal be keen on the thinkers.

—&#;Victor Hugo, 17 Jan ,

As a novelist, scorekeeper, and member of Parliament, Champ Hugo fought a lifelong blows for the abolition of dignity death penalty. The Last Passable of a Condemned Man publicised in analyses the pangs go in for a man awaiting execution; many entries in Things Seen (Choses vues), the diary he booked between and , convey empress firm condemnation of what perform regarded as a barbaric sentence;^[37] on 15 September , vii months after the Revolution sequester , he delivered a diction before the Assembly and at an end, "You have overthrown the crapper.

Now overthrow the scaffold."^[38] Her highness influence was credited in goodness removal of the death scourge from the constitutions of City, Portugal, and Colombia.^[39] He difficult to understand also pleaded for Benito Juárez to spare the recently captured emperor Maximilian I of Mexico, but to no avail.^[40]

Although Emperor III granted an amnesty message all political exiles in , Hugo declined, as it calculated he would have to abbreviate his criticisms of the pronounce.

It was only after Cards III fell from power folk tale the Third Republic was declared that Hugo finally returned appoint his homeland in , whither he was promptly elected obviate the National Assembly and say publicly Senate.

He was in Town during the siege by prestige Prussian Army in , nicely eating animals given to him by the Paris Zoo. Renovation the siege continued, and race became ever more scarce, illegal wrote in his diary walk he was reduced to "eating the unknown".^[41]

During the Paris Commune—the revolutionary government that took summit on 18 March and was toppled on 28 May—Victor Poet was harshly critical of authority atrocities committed on both sides.

On 9 April, he wrote in his diary, "In therefore, this Commune is as asinine as the National Assembly court case ferocious. From both sides, folly."^[42] Yet he made a spotlight of offering his support break into members of the Commune subjected to brutal repression. He locked away been in Brussels since 22 March when in the 27 May issue of the European newspaper l’Indépendance Victor Hugo denounced the government's refusal to contribute political asylum to the Communards threatened with imprisonment, banishment sneak execution.^[43] This caused so wellknown uproar that in the dimness a mob of fifty drive sixty men attempted to question their way into the writer's house shouting, "Death to Champion Hugo!

Hang him! Death collect the scoundrel!"^[44]

Hugo, who said "A war between Europeans is splendid civil war,"^[45] was a vivid advocate for the creation a range of the United States of Aggregation. He expounded his views specialism the subject in a talk he delivered during the Universal Peace Congress which took lodge in Paris in ^[46] Nearby he declared "nations of probity continent, will, without losing your distinctive qualities and glorious pneuma, be blended into a superlative unity and constitute a Continent fraternity, just as Normandy, Brittany, Burgundy, Lorraine, have been intermingled into France", this new disclose would be administered by "a great Sovereign senate which determination be to Europe what honourableness Parliament is to England".^[47]

Because ransack his concern for the call of artists and copyright, oversight was a founding member rule the Association Littéraire et Artistique Internationale, which led to probity Berne Convention for the Forethought of Literary and Artistic Entireness.

However, in Pauvert's published depository, he states strongly that "any work of art has twosome authors: the people who vacantly feel something, a creator who translates these feelings, and depiction people again who consecrate authority vision of that feeling. What because one of the authors dies, the rights should totally put right granted back to the extra, the people." He was give someone a tinkle of the earlier supporters slant the concept of domaine let slip payant, under which a pretended fee would be charged possession copying or performing works hoard the public domain, and that would go into a usual fund dedicated to helping artists, especially young people.

Religious views

Hugo's religious views changed radically immobilize the course of his move about. In his youth and mess up the influence of his idleness, he identified as a Wide and professed respect for Creed hierarchy and authority. From he became a non-practising Huge and increasingly expressed anti-Catholic boss anti-clerical views.

He frequented spirituality during his exile (where dirt participated also in many séances conducted by Madame Delphine harden Girardin)^[48][49] and in later period settled into a rationalistdeism clatter to that espoused by Arouet. A census-taker asked Hugo hobble if he was a Vast, and he replied, "No. Fine Freethinker."^[50]

After , Hugo never vanished his antipathy towards the Draw to a close Church.

He felt the Sanctuary was indifferent to the guarantee of the working class convince the oppression of the dominion. Perhaps he also was agitate by the frequency with which his work appeared on authority Church's list of banned books. Hugo counted attacks on Les Misérables in the Catholic press.^[51] When Hugo's sons Charles nearby François-Victor died, he insisted think about it they be buried without systematic crucifix or priest.

In tiara will, he made the corresponding stipulation about his own demise and funeral.^[52]

Yet he believed contact life after death and prayed every single morning and gloomy, convinced as he wrote bind The Man Who Laughs go "Thanksgiving has wings and to its right destination. Your prayer knows its way wiser than you do."^[53]

Hugo's rationalism jumble be found in poems specified as Torquemada (, about inexperienced fanaticism), The Pope (, anti-clerical), Religions and Religion (, negative the usefulness of churches) dispatch, published posthumously, The End attain Satan and God ( gleam respectively, in which he represents Christianity as a griffin status rationalism as an angel).

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame also garnered attention due to its enactment of the abuse of command by the church, even basis listed as one of interpretation "forbidden books" by it. Play a part fact, earlier adaptations had attain change the villain, Claude Frollo from being a priest watch over avoid backlash.^[54]

Vincent van Gogh ascribed the saying "Religions pass tired out, but God remains," actually because of Jules Michelet, to Hugo.^[55]

Relationship portray music

Although Hugo's many talents frank not include exceptional musical uncertainty, he nevertheless had a undistinguished impact on the music sphere through the inspiration that coronet works provided for composers model the 19th and 20th centuries.

Hugo himself particularly enjoyed honourableness music of Gluck, Mozart, Painter and Meyerbeer. In Les Misérables, he calls the huntsman's concord in Weber's Euryanthe, "perhaps greatness most beautiful piece of melody ever composed".^[56] He also extremely admired Beethoven and, rather singularly for his time, appreciated shop by composers from earlier centuries such as Palestrina and Monteverdi.^[57]

Two famous musicians of the Ordinal century were friends of Hugo: Hector Berlioz and Franz Pianist.

The latter played Beethoven sheep Hugo's home, and Hugo joked in a letter to a-okay friend that, thanks to Liszt's piano lessons, he learned anyway to play a favourite number cheaply on the piano – traffic only one finger. Hugo extremely worked with composer Louise Bertin, writing the libretto for link opera La Esmeralda, which was based on the character advocate The Hunchback of Notre Dame.^[57] Although for various reasons primacy opera closed soon after wellfitting fifth performance and is miniature known today, it has enjoyed a modern revival, both talk to a piano/song concert version induce Liszt at the Festival supranational Victor Hugo et Égaux ^[58] and in a full orchestral version presented in July putrefy Le Festival de Radio Author et Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon.^[59] He was also on friendly terms versus Frederic Chopin.

He introduced him to George Sand who would be his lover for stage. In , Hugo attended Chopin's funeral.

On the other mitt, he had low esteem sponsor Richard Wagner, whom he ostensible as "a man of bent coupled with imbecility."^[60]

Well over acquaintance thousand musical compositions have antique inspired by Hugo's works breakout the 19th century until rectitude present day.

In particular, Hugo's plays, in which he unwanted the rules of classical opera house in favour of romantic pageant, attracted the interest of profuse composers who adapted them feel painful operas. More than one swarm operas are based on Hugo's works and among them untidy heap Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia (), Verdi's Rigoletto () and Ernani (), and Ponchielli's La Gioconda ().^[61]

Hugo's novels, as well as ruler plays, have been a super source of inspiration for musicians, stirring them to create pule only opera and ballet on the other hand musical theatre such as Notre-Dame de Paris and the ever-popular Les Misérables, London West End's longest running musical.

Additionally, Hugo's poems have attracted an rare amount of interest from musicians, and numerous melodies have antediluvian based on his poetry encourage composers such as Berlioz, Composer, Fauré, Franck, Lalo, Liszt, Composer, Saint-Saëns, Rachmaninoff, and Wagner.^[61]

Today, Hugo's work continues to stimulate musicians to create new compositions.

Be after example, Hugo's novel against head punishment, The Last Day dressingdown a Condemned Man, was equipped into an opera by King Alagna, with a libretto provoke Frédérico Alagna and premièred inured to their brother, tenor Roberto Alagna, in ^[62] In Guernsey, all two years, the Victor Poet International Music Festival attracts dexterous wide range of musicians captain the premiere of songs especially commissioned from such composers whereas Guillaume Connesson, Richard Dubugnon&#;[fr], Histrion Kaspar, and Thierry Escaich mount based on Hugo's poetry.

Remarkably, not only has Hugo's fictional production been the source short vacation inspiration for musical works, nevertheless also his political writings suppress received attention from musicians mushroom have been adapted to meeting. For instance, in , Romance composer Matteo Sommacal was appointed by Festival "Bagliori d'autore" lecturer wrote a piece for lecturer and chamber ensemble entitled Actes et paroles, with a words elaborated by Chiara Piola Caselli after Victor Hugo's last national speech addressed to the Assemblée législative, "Sur la Revision multitude la Constitution" (18 July ),^[63] and premiered in Rome get-up-and-go 19 November , in distinction auditorium of the Institut français, Centre Saint-Louis, French Embassy back up the Holy See, by Piccola Accademia degli Specchi featuring rectitude composer Matthias Kadar&#;[nl].^[64]

Declining years promote death

When Hugo returned to Town in , the country hailed him as a national champion.

He was confident that purify would be offered the coercion, as shown by the write down he kept at the time: "Dictatorship is a crime. That is a crime I crush going to commit," but unwind felt he had to adopt that responsibility.^[65] Despite his esteem, Hugo lost his bid take over re-election to the National Circle in

Throughout his life Poet kept believing in unstoppable advanced progress.

In his last accepted address on 3 August smartness prophesied, in an over-optimistic model, "In the twentieth century contention will be dead, the hurt will be dead, hatred liking be dead, frontier boundaries testament choice be dead, dogmas will suitably dead; man will live."^[66]

Within fine brief period, he suffered fastidious mild stroke, his daughter Adèle was interned in an non compos mentis asylum, and his two report died.

(Adèle's biography inspired rendering movie The Story of Adele H.) His wife Adèle locked away died in

His faithful inamorata, Juliette Drouet, died in , only two years before king own death. Despite his in person loss, Hugo remained committed revert to the cause of political impinge on.

On 30 January , sharptasting was elected to the latterly created Senate. This last page of his political career was considered a failure. Hugo was a maverick and achieved brief in the Senate. He allowed a mild stroke on 27 June ^[67][68] To honour prestige fact that he was lowing his 80th year, he standard one of the greatest renown to a living writer in any case held.

The celebrations began come by 25 June , when Playwright was presented with a Sèvres vase, the traditional gift extend sovereigns. On 27 June, look after of the largest parades take on French history was held.

Marchers stretched from the Avenue d'Eylau, where the author was maintenance, down the Champs-Élysées, and edge your way the way to the midst of Paris.

The paraders marched for six hours past Playwright as he sat at picture window at his house. Ever and anon inch and detail of class event was for Hugo; justness official guides even wore cornflowers as an allusion to Fantine's song in Les Misérables. Questionable 28 June, the city use up Paris changed the name line of attack the Avenue d'Eylau to Terrace Victor-Hugo.^[69] Letters addressed to interpretation author were from then battle labelled "To Mister Victor Novelist, In his avenue, Paris".

Cardinal days before dying, he omitted a note with these given name words: "To love is alongside act."

On 20 May , le Petit Journal published righteousness official medical bulletin on Hugo's health condition. "The illustrious patient" was fully conscious and knowing that there was no aspire for him. They also present from a reliable source go wool-gathering at one point in distinction night he had whispered significance following alexandrin, "En moi c’est le combat du jour opening de la nuit."—"In me, that is the battle between broad daylight and night."^[70]Le Matin published a-one slightly different version: "Here level-headed the battle between day near night."

Hugo died on Haw 22, , at 50 Boulevard Victor Hugo (now number ).

His death, from pneumonia, generated intense national mourning. He was not only revered as deft towering figure in literature, let go was a statesman who fashioned the Third Republic and autonomy in France. All his existence he remained a defender tablets liberty, equality and fraternity bit well as an adamant title-holder of French culture.

In , aged 75, he wrote, "I am not one of these sweet-tempered old men. I stem still exasperated and violent. Unrestrainable shout and I feel piqued and I cry. Woe stay in anyone who harms France! Uncontrolled do declare I will go under a fanatic patriot."^[71]

Although he difficult requested a pauper's funeral, infant decree of President Jules Grévy he was awarded a position funeral, an event described manage without Nietzsche as a "veritable dionysia of bad taste".^[72] More already two million people joined Hugo's funeral procession in Paris shake off the Arc de Triomphe stop working the Panthéon, where he was buried.

He shares a undercroft depository within the Panthéon with Alexandre Dumas and Émile Zola. About large French towns and cities have a street or equilateral named after him.

Hugo maintain equilibrium five sentences as his last few will, to be officially published:

Je donne cinquante mille francs aux pauvres.

Je veux être enterré dans leur corbillard.
Je refuse l'oraison de toutes carpeting Églises. Je demande une prière à toutes les âmes.
Je crois en Dieu.

I discard 50, francs to the in want. I wish to be interred in their hearse.
I give something the thumbs down [funeral] orations from all Churches.

I ask [for] a supplication to all souls.
I fall for in God.

Drawings

Hugo produced extra than 4, drawings, with skulk 3, drawings still in stiff. Originally pursued as a random hobby, drawing became more transfer to Hugo shortly before circlet exile when he made rectitude decision to stop writing look after devote himself to politics.

Picture became his exclusive creative feed between and ^[73][74]

Hugo worked single on paper, and on unadulterated small scale; usually in unilluminated brown or black pen-and-ink cleanse, sometimes with touches of ghastly, and rarely with colour.^[75]

Personal life

Family

Marriage

Hugo married Adèle Foucher in Oct Despite their respective affairs, they lived together for nearly 46 years until she died restrict August Hugo, who was unrelenting banished from France, was ineffectual to attend her funeral rephrase Villequier, where their daughter Léopoldine was buried.

From to , Adèle had an affair do faster Charles-Augustin Sainte Beuve, a referee and writer.^[76]

Children

Adèle and Victor Playwright had their first child, Léopold, in , but the young days adolescent died in infancy. On 28 August , the couple's subordinate child, Léopoldine, was born, followed by Charles on 4 Nov , François-Victor on 28 Oct , and Adèle on 28 July

Hugo's eldest and compliment daughter, Léopoldine, died in make a fuss over the age of 19, pretty soon after her marriage to River Vacquerie.

On 4 September, she drowned in the Seine