Justicia 1858

Editor: This is "Justicia," a charcoal drawing by Victor Hugo, created in 1858. It’s overwhelmingly dark, with just enough stark highlights to reveal the barest suggestions of form. It gives me a deeply unsettling feeling. What's your take on this artwork? Curator: The unsettling feeling is key. As a materialist, I see this artwork first and foremost as evidence of labor. Hugo's repeated application of charcoal creates a dense atmosphere, mirroring the oppressive social context of 19th-century France. Justice here isn't about fairness; it's about the materiality of power, etched onto the page through sheer force. Editor: Force in what way? Do you mean the subject itself, or something to do with his actual, physical method? Curator: Both, inseparable. The subject matter – a disembodied head, a looming structure that resembles a guillotine – speaks to the violence inherent in the judicial system. But consider the process: the relentless layering of charcoal, the erasure, the reworking. It's a physical manifestation of that same violence, applied to the paper. Is Hugo criticizing the industrial production of legal violence? Editor: That’s interesting, connecting the physical act to the social statement. It makes me consider the ‘manufacture’ of justice, which I hadn't before. So the medium is truly the message, then. Curator: Absolutely. This isn't just about representation; it's about production. The drawing becomes a document of its own making, exposing the labor and materials that underpin our understanding of justice itself. Do you think Hugo understood the weight his material carried? Editor: I'd like to believe he did, now. This way of analyzing it, emphasizing the social conditions of its creation…it feels much more grounded and relevant. I'll remember to consider materiality more often when examining a work of art! Curator: Exactly, the power of art lies not just in its visual appeal, but in its tangible connection to the world.