My websurfing led me somewhat astray (as usual), and eventually to the following video clip of a brilliantly artistic elephant. If you’ve never seen an elephant painting before, get ready for a shock! I’ve seen amazing examples of abstract painting and drawing by elephants, but the following demonstration is almost beyond belief.

You also might want to watch a follow-up video, which gives some background on this pachydermic Picasso.

Wikipedia has this to say about Hugo’s artwork:

“Many are not aware that Hugo was almost as prolific in the visual arts as he was in literature, producing more than 4,000 drawings in his lifetime. Originally pursued as a casual hobby, drawing became more important to Hugo shortly before his exile, when he made the decision to stop writing in order to devote himself to politics. Drawing became his exclusive creative outlet during the period 1848-1851.

“He would not hesitate to use his children’s stencils, ink blots, puddles and stains, lace impressions, “pliage” or folding (i.e., Rorschach blots), “grattage” or rubbing, often using the charcoal from matchsticks, or his fingers, instead of pen or brush. Sometimes he would even toss in coffee or soot to get the effects he wanted. It is reported that Hugo often drew with his left hand or without looking at the page, or during Spiritualist séances, in order to access his unconscious mind, a concept only later popularized by Sigmund Freud.”

Hugo’s drawings and small paintings run the gamut from “what one might expect” — romantic landscapes, forlorn castles, and such — to astonishingly experimental work, Surrealist or Minimalist in nature, that was far ahead of its time.

Victor Hugo was also a creative lettering artist, as can be seen in some of the images below.