A Portrait of Hugo In Conversation with Nicole Farhi

The acclaimed designer and sculptor shares the inspiration behind her portrait of Victor Hugo and what she hopes visitors will discover beyond the bronze. One of the most significant contributions to the new Victor Hugo Centre has already arrived in Guernsey. Acclaimed designer and sculptor Nicole Farhi has generously donated her life-size bronze portrait of Victor Hugo, a striking work that will eventually become part of the Centre itself. Here, she shares the inspiration behind the sculpture and the man she wanted visitors to discover beyond the legend.

Nicole Farhi, well known to British audiences for her influential career in fashion and her later work as a sculptor, was commissioned to capture Hugo in midlife, at the height of his creativity. Rather than portraying the older, instantly recognisable figure seen in so many historical images, she presents a Hugo still in the prime of his life: an exile carrying the pain of leaving France, but also a man of enormous creativity, conviction and determination.

Her sculpture celebrates not simply the author, but the human being and visionary behind the reputation. For now, the bronze is on display at Candie Museum in Guernsey, offering visitors an early glimpse of what will eventually become one of the defining pieces within the new Centre.

“I wanted to show a Victor Hugo that very few people know. At 53, he was still in the prime of his life.”

— Nicole Farhi

What first inspired you to create a portrait of Victor Hugo?

Being French, I feel a profound connection to Hugo’s legacy and to the values of justice he defended throughout his life. I was drawn to the man behind the legend. Portraiture, for me, is about understanding another human being, not simply reproducing a face.

Why did you choose to portray Hugo as he arrived in Guernsey?

I wanted to show a Victor Hugo that very few people know. At 53, he was still in the prime of his life: an exile carrying the pain of leaving France, but also the determination to continue writing and fighting for his ideals. I wanted visitors to encounter the living man before the legend.

What did you most want viewers to discover about him?

His humanity before his greatness. His face carries intelligence and responsibility, but also vulnerability, determination and compassion. If people feel they are standing before a living man rather than an icon, then I have succeeded.

What does it mean to know the sculpture will remain in Guernsey?

It is both an honour and a profound responsibility. To know the portrait will have a permanent home on the island that shaped so much of Hugo’s life, gives me enormous satisfaction. I hope it encourages people to become curious about his extraordinary story.

What do you hope visitors see beyond the bronze?

A man rather than a monument. Someone who understood that words can change society, that art carries responsibility and that courage sometimes means standing alone. Above all, I hope they feel Victor Hugo is still speaking to us through the values he defended.