Lace and Ghost

Did you know that Victor Hugo, the famous author of The Hunchback of Notre Dame was also an artist? Eugène Delacroix said that had Hugo chosen to become a painter rather than a writer, he would've been one of the greatest of the century.

Hugo moonlighted as an art critic, and was a fan of Delacroix. Delacroix, it seems, returned the admiration for Hugo's own painterly work. Vincent Van Gogh was also reported to be a fan.

Today is Halloween and Hugo's works are just perfect for this occasion. In 1853, Hugo became interested in séances, or table-turning. It wasn't long before Hugo quit, but not before he realized how effective those sessions were in setting free his unconscious. His artwork became much more experimental from that time forward. Hugo often relinquished his compositions to chance by soaking or turning the paper, allowing the ink to pool into spontaneous shapes. He also added to the complexity of his images with the use of stencil and collage, and by making impressions of various objects such as lace, leaves, or even his own fingertips.

So, Happy Halloween! Check our top 10 paintings for Halloween list!