Cicada in Bronze and Gold Feather
1882-1883
Gustave Fraipont created this delicate record of adoration for Victor Hugo, documenting two specific gifts presented to the literary legend on February 27, 1881. At the top sits a bronze cicada—a nod to the insect's famous fable about singing all summer—dedicated simply to the great man. Below lies a golden quill pen, a fitting tribute from his admirers in Saint-Quentin to the master of the written word. These sketches serve as a historical snapshot of 19th-century fandom, capturing the immense reverence the public held for the author of Les Misérables as he neared his eightieth birthday.
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