Author(s):
bayard, emile antoine (la ferté-sous-jouarre, 02–11–1837 - cairo, in 12–1891), designer
other titles:
jean valjean running away from monseigneur myriel (old title (outdated)), illustration for "les misérables" in the edition hugues (subtitle)
production date: around 1879 — 1880
dating in century: 4th quarter of the 19th century
type(s) of object(s): graphic arts
name(s): drawing
materials and techniques: charcoal, pastel
dimensions - artwork:
height: 53. 2cm
width: 38cm
dimensions - frame:
height: 94. 5cm
width: 74. 5cm
thickness: 1. 5cm
iconographic description:
illustration for the hugues edition of victor hugo's novel "les misérables", 1st part, "fantine", book 2, "the fall", chapter 10, "the awakened man". It corresponds to the following passage: "he remained in this situation, and would perhaps have remained there indefinitely until daybreak, if the clock had not struck a stroke - a quarter or a half. It seemed as if this stroke had said to him: 'come on!' was not very dark; it was a full moon over which large clouds chased by the wind. It caused alternations of shadow and light outside, eclipses, then clearings, and inside this twilight, sufficient for one to be able to guide oneself, intermittent because of the clouds, resembled the kind of lividity which falls from a cellar window in front of which passers-by come and go. At the window, jean valjean examined it. It was without bars, overlooked the garden and was only closed, according to the fashion of the country, with a small key. He opened it, but as a cold, sharp air suddenly entered the room, he closed it immediately. He looked at the garden with that attentive gaze which studies even more than it looks. The garden was enclosed by a fairly low white wall, easy to climb. At the bottom, beyond, he distinguished the heads of trees equally spaced, which indicated that this wall separated the garden from an avenue or a planted lane. This glance taken, he made the movement of a determined man, walked to his alcove, took his haversack, rummaged through it, took out something which he placed on the bed, put his shoes in one of the pockets, closed everything, loaded the bag on his shoulders, covered himself with his cap, the visor of which he lowered over his eyes, groped for his stick, and placed it in the corner of the window, then returned to the bed and resolutely grabbed the object he had placed there. It looked like a short iron bar, sharpened like a spear at one of its ends. It would have been difficult to distinguish in the darkness for what use this piece of iron could have been shaped. Maybe it was leverage? perhaps it was a club? in the daylight we could have recognized that it was nothing other than a miner's candlestick. Convicts were sometimes employed to extract rock from the high hills surrounding toulon, and it was not uncommon for them to have miner's tools at their disposal. The miners' candlesticks are made of solid iron, ending at their lower end with a point by means of which they are driven into the rock. He took this candlestick in his right hand, and holding his breath, muffled his step, he headed towards the door of the neighboring room, that of the bishop, as we know. Arriving at this door, he found it ajar. The bishop had not closed it. "
historical commentary:
this drawing for edition hugues of victor hugo's novel, "les misérables", was engraved by a. Bellenger and placed on p. 137 next to the text that he illustrates in chapter 10 of book 2 of the 1st part ("fantine"). The fascicles of the hugues edition of "misérables" appeared from november 29, 1879. Themes / subjects / places represented:
les miserables (v. Hugo)
person / character depicted:
valjean, jean (literary character)
acquisition method: manual donation
date of acquisition: 1903
institution: maison de victor hugo - hauteville house
inventory number: 351. Date: Vers 1879 — 1880.
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