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Published: 2010-01-04 13:08:26 +0000 UTC; Views: 16324; Favourites: 305; Downloads: 106
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In the fell clutch of circumstanceI have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Invictus
by William Ernest Henley (1849–1903)
100 Pictures Challenge #20: Fortitude.
wants this here... Seriously, don't you think there's *already* enough Les Mis stuff in my gallery without my adding more to it?
So yeah. Jean Prouvaire on the wrong side of the barricade, making good use of his one shot before he gets dragged off to the other end of Rue de la Chanvrerie and killed.
Obviously, if you've read the book, there's no such scene. Between the time Marius enters the barricade (during the penetration of the barricade) and the time he threatens to blow everything and everyone up with gunpowder, Jehan simply... vanishes. It's only when they call the roll and can't find him among the able, injured or dead that they realise he's been taken prisoner. Not long after, they hear his voice crying out, from the other end of the street, "Long live France! Long live the future!", before the rifle squad executes him... and that's that.
Now, I know that fanon!Jehan has always been portrayed as... well, floofy (and I myself am certainly guilty of drawing him cuddling lobsters, oi) - and gosh, Victor Hugo gives that impression in his initial description of Jean Prouvaire as a dreamy, timid poet who blushed at nothing, was addicted to love and liked long walks through fields of wild oats and bluebells (not to mention dressing badly, which, in fanon, has come to be a hideous preference for idiosyncratic, anachronistic costumes). But then Hugo says at the end of the descrip, "Still, intrepid." This is repeated in the barricade sequence when the Amis realise who's gone missing: "And who? One of the dearest. One of the most valiant, Jean Prouvaire." (This valiance having already been emphasized in the storming of the barricade scene where Jehan is the only of the Amis who's not a barricade chief named who openly fights the ranks of soldiers and guards crowning the barricade - at point blank range).
I therefore choose to believe that it was the valiant side of Jehan that showed itself on the barricade, and not the floofy poet; that he'd charged up the crest at some point and had somehow wound up on the wrong side (or toppled or shot: seriously, how stable can a barricade constructed of loose paving stones, furniture, barrels, an omnibus, iron gratings, glass doors and the odd bit of shoring timber be, anyway?), and that his execution was at least every bit as epic as Enjolras'. As MmeBahorel of Abaissé so aptly put it: "Prouvaire was taken, but like hell he went without a fight if his dying words were the shout "Vive la France, vive l'avenir"."
Les Misérables written by Victor Hugo, translated by Charles Wilbour and mangled by Farlander.
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Comments: 74
BasiliskRules [2013-12-09 12:17:32 +0000 UTC]
He kind of looks like the Eighth Doctor here...which, of course, if you know what happened to him, makes this picture ten times sadder.
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scales [2013-05-20 17:43:51 +0000 UTC]
This is genuinely an amazing piece; best image of Jean Prouvaire I've seen on this website!
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High-PriestessofNyx [2013-03-14 06:21:34 +0000 UTC]
This is excellently done, and gives a nice snapshot of Jehan's more 'serious' side. I'd had issues trying to put together his character, and this fits it together quite nicely.
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RexThranuil [2013-03-03 22:15:38 +0000 UTC]
I actually have tears in my eyes from this, both the image and your take on it...
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JackieStarSister [2013-01-01 22:34:23 +0000 UTC]
This is excellent. That poem is so appropriate for Hugo's fighters of the barricade, and as a poet it would be like Jean Prouvaire to know such a verse (if it had been written in his time). I like that you put a lot of thought and effort into this piece.
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EpiphanyBlue [2012-12-20 00:19:50 +0000 UTC]
Absolutely. I am nowhere near this point in the Brick, but when I am I will be there for a long time, piecing together every story, every possibility I can dig up- seems like a wonderful thing to do over holiday break.
This piece is impressive and dynamic. I like how, instead of simply being brighter or darker, Jehan stands out by being clearer, sharply defined and detailed in the midst of blood and dust and soldiers and chaos. To see him any more clearly we would have to go inside his mind, and in a way it feels like we are doing just that- our focus is on him and his mission, his strength, his pain, determination, and defiance, fighting for his life in a cacophonous city turned battlefield.
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UntiltheEarthisFree [2012-08-23 22:02:31 +0000 UTC]
*sobbing hysterically* Why do you have to draw so well??? *sobbing more*
I have the Charles Wilbour version of the book too. I don't know if that's the only version or something, but it's the same one I have.
Btw, his leg? Yeah...that looks painful. I can't draw wounds. You can. Good job.
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DarthFar In reply to UntiltheEarthisFree [2012-08-24 12:50:54 +0000 UTC]
Thank you very much. I imagine that falling down a barricade made from furniture, barrels, iron fences and rubble couldn't have been much fun!
There are a number of different translations of the book. The Wilbour one is probably the one most people are familiar with; but there's also Fahnestock/McAfee (which I have in paperback), Isabel Hapgood (that's the version you get on Gutenberg), Norman Denny and - the latest - Julie Rose. Can't say I'm very familiar with Denny or Rose save that Denny apparently cut out big chunks and stuck them into appendices (which almost makes it unabridged), and that Rose's is a little verbose.
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UntiltheEarthisFree In reply to DarthFar [2012-08-24 15:29:18 +0000 UTC]
Oh. Ok.
Yeah...that would hurt wouldn't it?
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SimaraMorgana [2012-02-10 14:39:22 +0000 UTC]
I realy love your Les Mis pictures. They are so beutyfull. It was so sad, that Jehan had to die this way, but at least he had a kind of heroic death. They should have shown more specivic death scenes in the musical, it is so much more sad (Can one say "More sad"? It sounds kind of wrong...) in the book.
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AnneCat [2010-12-10 01:27:57 +0000 UTC]
I think this is a wonderful speculation and a wonderful piece of art. The quality of the light, the gorgeously unified color palette (I love how the discharge smoke from the gun and the guards' gun belts share the yellowish tones that are strongest in Prouvaire's boots, face and hair), the slight blurriness of the background figures and the complete clarity of Prouvaire, the emphasis on his courage and agony, and the way that even in the chaos, all the strong directing lines of the piece come back to him...
I could go on and on, but I hope it says enough that I honestly love this piece. I've spent the past 20 minutes or so looking at it.
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DarthFar In reply to AnneCat [2010-12-11 05:23:49 +0000 UTC]
Thank you very much. I think anyone who's ever paid attention to the barricade sequences has wondered at some point just how Jean Prouvaire managed to vanish, and what happened to him afterward; this was my way of getting some closure. I'm very glad you love it.
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zStars [2010-11-13 21:23:06 +0000 UTC]
Aaaah. Wonderful. I don't even know what to say about this--it's beautiful and a perfect tribute to an under-appreciated character. His expression is fantastically aggressive and the whole composition feels loud an desperate and valiant.
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DarthFar In reply to zStars [2010-12-23 11:23:25 +0000 UTC]
Thank you very much! There's so little on Jean Prouvaire - and even less on what became of him! - that I felt the need to flesh it out a little.
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quiteproustian [2010-10-25 22:04:39 +0000 UTC]
It looks great! Wonderful composition, colours and smoky atmosphere!
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jesta-ariadne [2010-08-26 17:47:27 +0000 UTC]
I just KEEP coming back to look at this. It's.. amazing, for all it's violent and distressing (... uh. that is rather the point I suppose ) Jehan..!
I just read that scene last week and 1) wanted to cry, but 2) thought: what? that's IT? he's just GONE?
So, yes, this is what I needed.
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DarthFar In reply to jesta-ariadne [2010-09-03 15:38:04 +0000 UTC]
I'm glad this resonates with you. And yeah, the deaths of the Amis were a little... sudden. And hard to take. ("Bossuet died, Feuilly died, Courfeyrac died, Joly died..." what the hell, Victor Hugo??)
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jesta-ariadne In reply to DarthFar [2010-09-06 12:37:43 +0000 UTC]
Exactly... of all the times be pithy and concise!!
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ocelott [2010-08-01 16:05:25 +0000 UTC]
I love this depiction of him. Even a floofy artist has convictions. Actually, sometimes the floofy artist has the most conviction.
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DarthFar In reply to ocelott [2010-09-03 15:57:38 +0000 UTC]
Thank you. And oh, this floofy poet has two antagonistic sides to him.
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Leopreston [2010-03-28 13:37:05 +0000 UTC]
I think I've just fallen in love with your work!
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standingalive [2010-03-26 12:17:18 +0000 UTC]
This is the Jehan we never get to know, but I am sure that we can admire. Bravo!
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DarthFar In reply to standingalive [2010-03-28 14:59:10 +0000 UTC]
Thanks! Hugo kept sneaking in mentions of Jehan's valour, but his gentler side seems to be what people tend to emphasize. I just wanted to see him showing that unseen side for a change.
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Miss-Pixie-Duchess [2010-03-07 23:51:22 +0000 UTC]
I totally agree with you! Jehan, in my opinion, died what probably was a very heroic death, and you've captured this beautifully, so beautifully! This is so faved...
...But, just out of curiosity, just where can I find the picture that you drew of our favorite poet snuggling that lobster (Hebert)?
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DarthFar In reply to Miss-Pixie-Duchess [2010-03-08 02:09:32 +0000 UTC]
Thanks! He may have been alternately timid and weird, but I like to believe he did the spirit of the insurrection proud.
The Jehan/Hebert picture should still be buried in my art thread at Abaisse, but here's a direct link anyway. [link]
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Miss-Pixie-Duchess In reply to DarthFar [2010-03-09 03:29:54 +0000 UTC]
Adorable! Oh, I squee'd so loud at the sight of this! Thank you for sharing.
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Meg-Giry [2010-03-01 09:04:04 +0000 UTC]
This picture is rally great. It is not only painted very well, it is also so authentic and touches me deep. And it looks as I always see it in my mined, when I read les Miserablés.
What you wrote about the story: For me, it makes perfectly sense “your” way. And I also think, Hugo wanted us to find out for ours self, what happened in sense like this. ‘Cause his books are always to make people think. And in this particular book all of the characters have more than one side. So why shouldn’t a poet not change into a fighter, when time calls for it…
Meg
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Dragonfly22 [2010-01-16 04:26:24 +0000 UTC]
Hey, another Les Mis scene, but the funny part is that this one doesn't even exist? That's what happens when an illustrator gets so carried away with a book, or when you have a whimsical friend that urges you to paint stuff you can't refuse.
Anyway, now that I saw this, I was reminded of your gory depiction of Les mis. I don't know why people are now fond of doing macabre mash-ups of classics! Have you heard of Pride and prejudice and zombies? and Android Karenina? I think Tolstoy should be laughing his ass off in his tomb (or possibly insulted, who knows!). What's next? Morbid Dick?
I'm sure a mind like yours is pleasantly entertained with all of that, though!
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Steffel [2010-01-11 11:46:19 +0000 UTC]
I really want to say something about this picture to make sure how much I'm in awe of it but I just don't know where to start.
I wanted to gush over the hair that looks so perfect and dirty and greasy and wow... and the vest that has this incredible texture and just looks like fabric... and the pose... and the bloodied leg... and the detailed background that still doesn't distract from the "main item"...
but all that comes out of my mouth is: WHOA!
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Madman42q [2010-01-11 06:27:53 +0000 UTC]
I've never seen or read Les Mis', so most of my knowledge comes from you and your illustrations.
This has a lot of intense feeling, of desperation, of fighting until you have nothing left, because every tiny bit could make or break the cause. I can feel that he knows he's about to die, so fuckitall, go down fighting!
This looks as if it could go in a museum. Very well done, Far!
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Mira-Jade [2010-01-07 23:58:27 +0000 UTC]
Aww! It's so cute to see you fanboy over something, I think it humanizes your genius somewhat.
Anyway, I just got to the part in the book where this picture makes a lick of a sense, and I have to say that it is stunning. Past the literary side of this painting, I love the way you depicted the chaos and the mayhem of the battle here. There's a beauty in your choice of placement, and I especially love his face - defiant and angry. The smoke was a nice realistic touch as well, I knew that you were debating over that.
Anywho, thanks for another stellar piece from you. You are always a joy to watch. :hugs:
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WraithTen [2010-01-07 23:14:44 +0000 UTC]
Since I'm not on Abaisse I really love seeing the artwork here. Your illustrative work is brilliant!
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ColonelDespard [2010-01-06 04:57:48 +0000 UTC]
I've raved about this over on Abaisse, but really - one of the (if not *the*) best depictions of Prouvaire in any situation. Bloodied and defeated, but still defiant. His situation is ghastly, and (to repeat myself) you haven't sanitised it, but even beaten to the ground he's still an heroic figure, personifying the barricades as Hugo wrote them. Brilliant!
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Ricky-Roo302 [2010-01-06 01:14:19 +0000 UTC]
Your work belongs in fine art Galleries. This is SUPERB!! Breathtaking!! Jawdropping!! Do you feel this would be more difficult to render in traditional medium (oil on canvas ) than digitally?
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DyrraDegan [2010-01-05 14:30:55 +0000 UTC]
Geez Far, this is amazing! I love the little details, like the smoke curling out of the musket and the abandoned pack on the ground.
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wincenworks [2010-01-05 11:15:37 +0000 UTC]
Fabulous, the gore on his leg looks particularly believable.
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haius [2010-01-04 22:56:59 +0000 UTC]
I have to say, this is exceedingly awesome. and I know NOTHING of Les Mis. So bravo.
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TheVikingGoddess [2010-01-04 21:31:23 +0000 UTC]
This is my favorite poem; at one point, I had a stanza each on my ankles and wrists. I'd like to think that every one of us who carries courage will be able to let it take over if we're faced with this kind of situation. "Gentle" should never be equated with "weak."
I love your delicacy with visceral subjects; you're the only artist I know who can make a shredded shin muscle look like the costume on a Degas ballerina.
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DarthFar In reply to TheVikingGoddess [2010-01-05 02:21:43 +0000 UTC]
"Delicacy"? I believe my beta was whimpering when I mentioned that the barricades were riddled with iron gratings and broken glass, particularly when I mentioned the possibility of Jehan having impaled his leg on one of those at some point. But thanks, Sass.
And I hear ya! it's possible for "gentle" and "brave" to coexist peacefully. [Though I hope said stanzas were written - or on some kind of band - rather than tattooed on said ankles and wrists.]
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TheVikingGoddess In reply to DarthFar [2010-01-05 06:47:23 +0000 UTC]
Oh, it's very harsh material- I used the word "visceral" partly because you like to put guts all over. But you still make the material LOOK both real and compellingly beautiful- a lot of "battle" paintings become muddied, overwrought. Yours never do.
And they WERE tattooed, but with henna. Lasted about a month. (For added nerd points, I used Tolkien's tengwar script )
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DarthFar In reply to TheVikingGoddess [2010-01-06 01:53:05 +0000 UTC]
Tengwar??! Double nerd points if you wrote it out yourself, and then had the tattooist replicate it!
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