Rodin had long admired the literary titan Victor Hugo
(1802–1885), author of Les Misérables and The Hunchback of
Notre Dame. In 1883, Rodin received permission to visit the
writer at home, where he began modeling a portrait under
difficult, restrictive conditions. “He has not—what is called—
posed,” Rodin later wrote, “but I have lived with him, lunching
or driving or frequenting his soirées . . . with the bust at his
house, which allowed me to work there . . . .” The smaller
version nearby bears an inscription to the critic Arsène
Alexandre, while the spongelike marble base of this bronze
is unique to the cast.