CDV portrait of author Victor Hugo by J. M. Lopez, operating at Rue Condorcet 40, Paris, with distribution through the Photographic Warehouse at 180 Rue de Rivoli, presents the French literary giant in a striking close frontal composition on a distinctive red-bordered mount. Hugo appears in advanced age, his face filling much of the frame, with a voluminous white beard, heavy brow, and penetrating gaze directed toward the camera. He wears a dark coat with a wide, open collar revealing his shirt beneath.

The image is among the most intimate and confrontational portrait types made of Hugo, emphasizing the physical weight of his presence. The red decorative border of the mount is unusual and gives the card a commanding visual character. The reverse bears a bold red ornamental imprint for J. M. Lopez and a penciled inscription reading "Victor Hugo," along with a dealer notation "DABEZ 88."

Victor Hugo (1802–1885) was the towering figure of French Romanticism, author of Les Misérables, Notre-Dame de Paris, and Hernani. He lived in political exile from 1851 to 1870 under Napoleon III, returning to France as a national hero after the establishment of the Third Republic.