Georges Hugo, the art of being a grandson: the family exhibition at the Maison de Victor Hugo

While the great Victor Hugo is well known, his grandson Georges, the family's first painter and very close to the poet as a child, is less famous. An exhibition pays tribute to him in the family home, from November 10, 2023.

The Hugo family brought many artistic talents to France. The best-known of these is of course Victor Hugo, renowned writer and author of masterpieces such asLes Misérables and Notre-Dame de Paris, both of which are pieces of French heritage. But his grandson, Georges Hugo, took up the baton with brio, becoming the family's first painter. This first-ever exhibition on the subject invites you to discover his career through 300 works, including drawings, paintings, manuscripts, notebooks and photographs, some of which have been taken from the family archives.

The family home, on Place des Vosges, is home to the figure of the grandson, who was immortalized as a child in Victor Hugo's collection of poems"L'art d'être grand-père", testifying to his love for his descendants. As soon as the child began drawing, he exchanged his works with his eldest son, marking the beginning of their love affair. Growing up, Georges did his military service, a great patriot, and even enlisted in 1914, despite his advanced age at the time. A worldly man, he showed no lack of empathy for the less well-off, and was full of paradoxes, at once shy and flamboyant, sensitive and seductive, sometimes melancholy.

Very faithful to the memory of his grandfather, Georges Hugo seemed to paint and draw for himself and not for posterity, until the collapse of his fortune prompted him to exhibit and sell his works. A painter without a studio, he set up his easel wherever he could, and drew, notebook in hand, alert to the world around him. He repeatedly depicted the cafés where he spent his time, scenes from shows, but also the war and any figure that might interest him, including those close to him, between pencil, ink and watercolor.

The museum created by Paul Meurice for Victor Hugo's centenary in 1902 was made possible thanks to the support of Georges Hugo, who made numerous donations to build up the museum's initial collection of around 600 works. While the temporary exhibition is subject to a fee, take advantage of the opportunity to visit the poet's apartment on the second floor, free of charge, on the occasion of the museum's 120th anniversary!

Georges Hugo, the art of being a grandson: the family exhibition at the Maison de Victor Hugo

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