Juliette DROUET, in love, grows tired of Victor HUGO's absences. 1844.

Juliette DROUET (1806-1883).

Autograph letter signed to Victor Hugo.

Four pages in-8° on bluish paper.

May 9, Thursday evening [1844]

« In the meantime, I would really like to see you and experience a little love… »

A beautiful letter concerning the commission of a painting from the artist Jean Luthereau (who had married her friend Laure Kraft). Juliette Drouet ends her letter lovingly, weary of the great man's absences.

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“Madame Luthereau is leaving here, my beloved, very sad and quite changed, for she has apparently been very ill and still is. She came to tell me that a protégé of Mr. d'Houdetot, the deputy, had obtained a painting by Mr. Cailleux in a flash, which made her fear that the reasons he gave you for postponing her husband's painting were poor, since he was granting Mr. d'Houdetot, without any regard for the king or Montalivet , what he had not granted you. I reminded her that Mr. d'Houdetot was a Deputy , which carried considerable weight in all these matters, but that I nevertheless thought there was no reason to despair yet. In short, she left, still very ill, but perhaps a little less sad, I hope.”

Another thing, Claire wrote me a letter full of impatience and worry about that dreaded exam […] I just wrote it to the poor child to reassure her. Besides, I'm not upset because I was dreading that fateful 13! […] Thank God, it's gone. I hope the 20 doesn't play any tricks on us. In the meantime, I'd love to see you and experience a little love instead of living in dust like I have for the past eight days. You're not happy enough that I love you like a poor damned soul …