Valentine Hugo (1887–1968) was a French artist whose career bridged the worlds of ballet, theater design, and Surrealism. Born Valentine Gross in Boulogne-sur-Mer, she studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and became known for her exquisite drawings of the Ballets Russes, particularly her sketches of legendary dancer Vaslav Nijinsky. In 1919, she married Jean Hugo, great-grandson of Victor Hugo, and collaborated with him on theatrical productions including Jean Cocteau’s ballets. After their divorce in 1932, Hugo became deeply involved with the Surrealist movement, hosting salons attended by André Breton, Paul Éluard, Pablo Picasso, and Salvador Dalí. She was celebrated for her fine-line drawings against dark backgrounds and her portraits of Surrealist leaders, becoming the foremost illustrator of Paul Éluard’s poetry.

La Peur, Aeris Ardores (1962) represents a departure from Hugo’s better-known Surrealist work, demonstrating her continued artistic evolution in her later years. Executed in colored pencils, this atmospheric seascape employs layered strokes to create a shimmering, impressionistic effect that captures the play of light on water. The work is inscribed “for dear Gaston Ferdière with affection and admiration,” a French psychiatrist and poet. Created when Hugo had largely withdrawn from public life, this intimate drawing reveals her sustained engagement with observational landscape work and suggests a return to the coastal scenery of her birthplace.

This work comes from the collection of Yolande and Lucien Clergue, the celebrated photographer who founded the Rencontres d’Arles and was the first photographer elected to the Académie des beaux-arts. The Clergues built an extraordinary collection reflecting their deep friendships with major twentieth-century artists, including Picasso, Cocteau, and members of the Surrealist circle.