An illustration for Victor Hugo's Le roi s'amuse.
Item mounted on a leaf following page 332 of a copy of Victor Hugo's collected plays, v. II (PML 140569), the volume issued as part of a set of his collected Oeuvres complètes, published in Paris by J. Hetzel in 46 volumes between 1880-1883.
The drawing and volume in which it has been inserted appear to have formerly belonged to the engraver Fortuné Méaulle; the Gordon Ray copy of Hugo's Oeuvres complètes is evidently an author's presentation copy, with 6 of the 46 volumes containing inscriptions by the author to members of the Méaulle family. Cf. Ray.
Drawing illustrating Blanche's murder at the hands of Saltabadil; Blanche enters through a doorway, wrapped in a cloak, as Saltabadil stands behind the door at right with his knife raised and ready to strike and his sister, Maguelonne, stands looking on at left.