Der Schriftsteller Victor Hugo
nach 1883
Medium
Gips
Dimensions
H: 57,5 cm
Classification
Kopfbüste
Department
Belvedere Collection
Museum
Belvedere
Credit
Belvedere, Vienna
Accession Number
8075
Art Historical Context
In the Belvedere Collection in Vienna, Auguste Rodin's *Der Schriftsteller Victor* (The Writer Victor Hugo), created after 1883, captures iconic French author's intense gaze and brooding presence in a striking plaster bust measuring 57.5 cm in height. Rodin, a pioneering sculptor of the late 19th century, immortalized Hugo—celebrated for masterpieces like *Les Misérables and *The Hunchback of Notre-Dame*—during a period when the writer was a symbol of Romanticism and republican ideals in France. This intimate head bust reflects Rodin's fascination with literary giants, blending portraiture wit...
About the Artist
Auguste Rodin · 1840–1917
François Auguste René Rodin (1840-1917) stands as the founder of modern sculpture, transforming the art form from academic tradition into expressive modernism. Born into a working-class Parisian family, Rodin faced early rejection, failing three times to gain admission to the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts. This setback forced him to work as a craftsman for nearly two decades, though his 1875 tr...