Louis Boulanger, Painter and Dreamer
From November 10, 2022
to March 5, 2023
Maison de Victor Hugo
6 place des Vosges – 75004 Paris
Louis Boulanger (1806-1867) was, of all the painters in the Romantic cenacle, the closest to Victor Hugo. His friendship with Alexandre Dumas was equally important in his life. The Museum, which holds more than 190 works by the artist, is the most appropriate place to pay tribute to him and to rediscover him through a monographic exhibition.
Louis Boulanger (1806-1867) is, of all the painters of the Romantic cenacle, the closest to Victor Hugo, his friendship with Alexandre Dumas had as much weight in his life.
His friendships with a number of artists and writers, such as Balzac, who dedicated “La Femme de trente ans” to him, and his complicity with painters such as the Devéria brothers, Alexandre Colin and Eugène Giraud, made him a central figure of the period.
The great success of his Mazeppa (Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen) at the 1827 Salon made him one of the focal points of his generation, and he is often referred to as “the painter of Mazeppa”.
Yet his work is rich and diverse, a champion of Romanticism, Boulanger explores the whole spectrum from frenetic and violent visions to lighter literary subjects. He tackled all the techniques, giving his letters of nobility to the brand new lithography and giving a monumental power to watercolour, the fashion for which came from England. He was the first to design theatrical costumes and thus contributed to creating the visual identity of the Romantic drama.
General curator
Gérard Audinet, Director of the Maisons de Victor Hugo Paris-Guernesey
Scientific curator
Olivia Voisin, Director of the Orléans museums