Mme Victor Hugo allaitant Léopoldine, 659(2), Achille Devéria, Fin 1824 debut 1825

Author(s): devéria, achille (paris, 06–02–1800 - paris, 23–12–1857), designer production date: late 1824 early 1825 dating in century: 1st quarter of the 19th century type(s) of object(s): graphic arts name(s): drawing materials and techniques: graphite mine, paper dimensions - artwork: height: 25. 5cm width: 18cm historical commentary: achille devéria created several portraits of madame hugo with a child on her lap. Tradition has often seen léopoldine in the child, through a retrospective overvaluation of her importance in the life of victor hugo. Now there are four of these portraits and three of them were published as engravings on dates following the birth of the poet's other children. It therefore seems more likely that a sort of intimate tradition was established over the years, of a portrait of the mother with the child after each birth. This portrait, which does not seem to have been transcribed into a lithograph, is undoubtedly the first. The young mother breastfeeds her child, both modestly wrapped in a shawl. Tradition sees madame hugo and her daughter léopoldine there. Nothing invalidating the tradition, we can consider it as a memory of the birth of léopoldine. The meeting between the hugos and achille devéria traditionally takes place in december 1824. This date therefore remains compatible with the birth of léopoldine, the previous august 28, and allows us to place this drawing either at the very end of 1824 or at the beginning of 1825. The drawing remained in achille devéria's workshop and was acquired from one of his descendants. Person / character depicted: hugo, adèle (née foucher); hugo, leopoldine mode of acquisition: purchase date of acquisition: 1927 institution: maison de victor hugo - hauteville house inventory number: 659. Date: Fin 1824 debut 1825.