“Astonishing Things” was Vincent Van Gogh’s observation about Victor Hugo’s work; we don’t know whether he was talking about his prose, poetry or art - probably the prose. But it’s not a bad description of his art, as represented by the 70 pieces in this little show at the Royal Academy.
Actually, Stranger Things would be an even better title, because an awful lot of his output is very odd indeed. Much of it wasn’t intended as finished work, but as doodles, cartoons or sketches on his travels – he was a prolific sketcher. Some of it was based on that parlour game – or spiritualist exercise (he was rather keen on contact with the Other Side) – whereby you are invited to make something (maybe animals or faces) out of random shapes. Some of the works – he produced thousands - are competent but uninspired studies. And some of it reminds you of nothing so much as Mervyn Peake, with a heavy touch of Gormenghast: the weirdly compelling Dead Cities, for example, or the creepy study of stone called Hic clavis, alias portas (here the key; elsewhere (or at another time), the doors.
