Victor Hugo
1825
Before he was the grumpy, bearded literary giant who wrote Les Misérables, Victor Hugo was this dashing, mustache-twirling young heartthrob! Captured in 1825 by his friend Eugène Devéria, this lively sketch shows a 23-year-old Hugo lounging confidently in a chair with a mischievous grin. The Latin phrase 'ad vivum' at the bottom means it was drawn from life, capturing the writer's vibrant energy right at the start of his Romantic revolution. It's a far cry from the serious old man you see on old French currency!
Views: 5