Steuben's Esmeralda, which was presented at the 1839 Salon, is a sensual, timeless, even 'formalised' portrayal of Hugo's heroine. The tambourine which accompanies her dances on the cathedral forecourt lies at her feet and the goat rests on her knees – the attributes of this modern 'Venus'. Everything in his representation contrasts with the harshness of the décor and the portrayal of Quasimodo lurking in the shadows. The Egyptian, bohemian, gypsy girl Esmeralda prefigures the Carmen of Prosper Mérimée and embodies the myth of the fortune-teller and femme fatale. Esmeralda is central to the novel's intrigue and arouses the desire of Claude Frollo (the cathedral's archdeacon), whom she both fears and detests. She is secretly in love with Phoebus de Chateaupers, the Captain of the Guard who, although attracted by her, does not have any feelings for her. Quasimodo, on the other hand, the bell-ringing 'monster', is passionately devoted to Esmeralda. However, she marries the penniless artist Pierre Gringoire to save him from the gallows. The painting's presentation at the Salon testified to the great success of Victor Hugo's novel.