The Hunchback of Notre-Dame 1881

Luc-Olivier Merson rendered this somber scene in muted tones of brown, grey, and white. The subject, drawn from Victor Hugo’s novel, depicts Quasimodo perched atop Notre-Dame Cathedral, overlooking the city of Paris. Merson was working during a period of significant social and political change in France. His image captures the complex historical and cultural dynamics of 19th-century Paris, a city undergoing rapid modernization. The figure of Quasimodo is a powerful symbol for those existing on the margins of society, a figure who embodies both physical difference and emotional depth. Merson's choice to portray Quasimodo offers a commentary on the way society often marginalizes those who are deemed different or "ugly." This melancholic image asks us to reflect on the ways we perceive and treat those who exist outside of mainstream society. Quasimodo's solitary vigil prompts us to consider the emotional and personal dimensions of exclusion, and the societal structures that perpetuate it.