Head of a Raven in Profile, from The Raven (Le Corbeau)

The Head of a Raven in Profile, from The Raven (Le Corbeau), created in 1875 by Édouard Manet, serves as one of the pivotal illustrations for Stéphane Mallarmé’s definitive French translation of Edgar Allan Poe’s celebrated 1845 narrative poem. This intricate project represents a crucial intersection of nineteenth-century French literature and modernist art, uniting three iconic figures in a single volume published by Richard Lesclide. The edition, printed by Lefman et Cie., showcased Manet’s increasing mastery of graphic media.

This particular sheet is a transfer lithograph rendered expertly in dense black ink on tan simili-parchment paper. The print technique allows Manet to deploy high contrast, isolating the subject's ominous presence. The composition focuses intently on the raven’s head, depicted in stark profile. Manet captures the bird’s powerful, curved beak and intense eye with expressive, free-flowing contours characteristic of his draftsmanship, contrasting sharply with the void of the background.

While Manet is primarily known as a revolutionary painter, he dedicated significant energy to producing prints during the 1870s, contributing profoundly to the graphic arts in France. This collaborative piece exemplifies the aesthetic shift toward Symbolism and underscores the lasting impact of American literature on French modernism. Today, this important work resides in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, offering scholars access to a rare example of the artist’s graphic production, with high-quality images often circulated under public domain protocols.