Der Rhein

Victor Hugo made two trips to the Rhine in his life, in 1839 and 1840, and recorded his impressions in his prose text Le rhin. In it he not only describes the place of legends, fairy tales and ruins that the Rhine was for him from childhood on, but also deals with its political significance as a border river between France and Germany. And both on site and from memory, over 100 Rhine drawings were created. For Hugo was also a gifted draughtsman. Recently he has been recognized as an early modernist artist with his fantastic, magical drawings, and William Turner and Gustave Moreau have been joined by him. This volume presents excerpts from the text in a new translation together with Hugo's most beautiful Rhine drawings and contemporary photographs.