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a handwritten letter written in black ink on a piece of papera close up of a piece of paper with writing on it
MILLON RIVIERA

Estimate €1,000 - €1,500
Sale commission
Description
[AUTOGRAPH] HUGO, Victor (1802–1885) Signed autograph letter, addressed to his close friend, the writer Jules JANIN (1804–1874). No place, ‘Thursday 14th’ [September 1843, according to the postmark]. 1 p. in-8. Brown ink on mourning paper. Address on the reverse of the second leaf: ‘Monsieur Jules Janin, rue de Vaugirard […] ’. Postmarks. A deeply moving letter from Victor Hugo, overwhelmed with grief, written a few days after the death of his daughter Léopoldine. ‘SHE HAD A HALO; YOU HAVE JUST ADDED A CROWN TO IT’ “You have touched my heart. I am writing to you with eyes full of the tears you have brought to them. To make a poor man weep at such a time is a gift, it is a virtue. I thank you for this kindness, and I remain yours forever, from the bottom of my heart. Alas, that poor dear child. You remember her. What an angel! She had a halo; you have just added a crown to it. I thank you. Your old friend. Victor H.” On 4 September 1843, Léopoldine Hugo drowned in the Seine, along with her husband. Several days later, on 9 September, Victor Hugo sat in a café with Juliette Drouet in Soubise and learnt of his daughter’s death whilst skimming the front page of the newspaper *Le Siècle*. He wrote to Louis Bertin the following day: ‘[…] my heart is broken; as you can see, […] Yesterday, I’d just been for a long walk in the sunshine through the marshes; I was tired, I was thirsty, […] I went into a café. They brought me a beer and a newspaper, *Le Siècle*. I read it. That is how I learnt that half of my life and my heart had died.” Juliette Drouet, too, described that fateful moment: “The waiter brought a bottle of beer and withdrew. Under a table opposite us lay several newspapers. Toto picked one at random and I took *Le Charivari*. I had barely had time to glance at the headline when my poor beloved suddenly leaned towards me and said in a choked voice, pointing to the newspaper he was holding: ‘This is dreadful! ’ I looked up at him: never, as long as I live, shall I forget the expression of unspeakable despair on his noble face. I had just seen him smiling and happy, and in less than a second, without warning, I found him utterly devastated; his poor lips were white, his beautiful eyes staring without seeing. His face and hair were wet with tears. His poor hand was clenched against his heart as if to prevent it from escaping his chest.” We would like to thank Ms Mathilde Lalin-Leprévost for her expertise; she is an expert in ancient manuscripts, rare letters and archives, and a member of the Compagnie Nationale des Experts (CNE).
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About the sale Bibliophilia – A fine selection of antique and modern books
Auction location
Auction time 10/15/2026 at 1:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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